enter If thy foot offend thee saith Christ out it off Heereupon when the penitent confessed to S. Anthony that he had kicked his mother he vrged him with that Text the man went and cut off his foot but S. Anthony honestly to make him amends set it on againe Were these not goodly constructions So the new elected Pope in his solemne Lateran Procession must take copper money out of his Chamberlaines lap and scatter it among the people saying Siluer and gold haue I none but such as I haue I giue vnto you And is not this a probable truth a praise-able bounty Seuen yeares penance is enioyned to a deadly sinne because Miriam was separated seuen dayes for her leprosie and God saith to Ezekiel chap. 4. I haue giuen thee a day for a yeare Oh genuine and most neighbourly concording of Scriptures When Gods word subiects Priests to Kings their Glosse subiects Kings to Priests at least to Popes But as when they determined to kill the Emperor Henry the seuenth that they might be sure to poyson him they stucke not to poyson their owne God in the Sacrament So purposing to teare the honour and deface the maiesty of Kings they first offer violence to the sacred word of God In these damnable Glosses it is hard to decide whether Pharise is beyond Papist or Papist beyond Pharise But Dum haec malè construunt seipsos malè destruunt Their euill construction of the Scriptures brings a worse destruction to themselues They make that serue the turne of their policie which God meant to serue the turne of his glory The Pharises cleaued to the letter but despised the Spirit so do Papists Hoc est corpus must bee materially there for this they wrangle fight burne the contradicters yet few of them care to finde it spiritually there Dabo claues I will giue thee the keyes therefore none can enter heauen except the Pope open the dores Whereas Peters two keyes one of knowledge the other of power are fitted to two lockes Ignorance and Induration But wee know who keepes the keyes and lets in many thousands to heauen without the Popes leaue These things saith hee that is holy and true hee that hath the key of Dauid he that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth Some of the Rabbins affirmed that God requires two things concerning his law Custodie and Worke custody in heart worke in execution The Pharises thought it enough to haue it in their frontlets not in their hearts So the Romist hath his opus operatum prayers numbred on beades fastings pilgrimages c. and then cryes like Saul Blessed bee thou of the Lord I haue performed the commandement of the Lord. The Pharises iustified themselues by their workes and would not sticke to say of the Law All this haue I kept from my youth Doe not the Papists so doe they not climbe to saluation by their owne works iustify themselues Those thought it not only easie to fulfill the Law but possible to doe more then they were bound to They thought it not worth thanks to performe what they were bidden Gods Law was too little for their holinesse They plyed God with vnbidden oblations gaue more then they needed then was commanded I pay tithes of all said that Pharise of all it was more then he needed If God would haue a Sabbath kept they ouer-keepe it let a house be on fire that day they would not quench it And what other is the boasting opinion of the Romanists it is nothing with them to content God they can earne him supererogate of him Yea these Iewish Papists haue done more then enough for themselues many good vvorks to spare for others this they call the Churches Treasure they sell them for ready money But Christ taught vs all to say We are vnprofitable seruants intimating that doe what we can yet God is a loser by the best of vs. To omit the miserable penances of the Pharises pricking themselues with thornes and wounding their flesh with whips wherein it is not possible for a Papist to goe beyond them If the misvsing macerating lacerating their owne bodies be a meanes to come into heauen surely the Pharises should enter farre sooner then the Papists Yet were those kept out and shall these enter Except your righteousnesse shall exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen The people were so besotted on them that they thought if but two men should goe to heauen the one must bee a Scribe the other a Pharise But here was strange newes neyther of them both shall come there So the Papists thinke that if but two men be saued one must be a Fryer the other a Iesuite Hee that should say neyther of them both was likely to speed so well should haue the whole multitude stare vpon him for such a Paradoxe The Pharises brag'd much of Moses Chaire iust so doe our Papists of Peters Chaire The Pharises iustified it that there was no error in theirs the Papists affirme that there 's no possibility of error in theirs The Pharises thundred against the poore people This people who knoweth not the Law are cursed So the Pope thunders his curses and excommunications against vs but we blesse God his thunder cannot reach vs. I would other places had no more cause to feare his thunder Then would they answere him as Gregory the fourth was answered when he purposed peremptorily to proceed against Lewys le Debonayre the French Bishops answered in flat termes Si excommunicaturus veniret excommunicatus discederet If he came to excommunicate hee should be sent back excommunicated The Pharises compassed Sea and Land to make Proselytes and when they had made one they make him twofold more the child of hell then themselues Doe not our Seminaries so Yes they are Compassers too like their grand Master Iob. 2. much like those Circulatores and Circumcelliones a limbe of the Donatists They creepe into Ladies houses I had almost said into their Chambers the Pursuiuant in modesty hath forborne the Gentlewomans bed and missed him Confession and Penance are the principall wheeles whereupon the Engine of their policie runnes By the first they find out mens secret inclinations by the other they heape riches to their Tribe They will not lead a Nouice into the maine at first to make him belieue the Popes infallibility of Iudgement authoritie to decrowne Kings to make Scripture no Scripture and no Scripture Scripture c. This meat is too tough it will not downe therefore they court his affections with pleasing delights smooth semblances and moderate constructions as neare to the religion from which they would peruert him as possibly may be afforded So by degrees they gaine him God and the Truth loseth him In their owne Countreys places of freedome they vizour their hearts in England they vizour their faces too The Pharises made difference of oathes
A Crucifixe Ephe. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering The good Politician directed Math. 10. 16. Be wise as Serpents The way home Math. 2. 12. And being warned of God in a dreame Semper Idem Hebr. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday Gods bounty Prou. 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand The lost are found Luke 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke A Generation of Serpents Psal. 58. 4. Their poyson is like the poyson of Serpents Heauen made sure Psal. 35. 3. Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation The Soules refuge 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according The end of the Contents THE HAPPINES OF THE CHVRCH HEBR. 12. Ver. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing GOD the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust men made perfect 24. And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel THEY that make comparisons alteram partem deprimunt vt res alterius emineant debase the one part that they may aduance the honour of the other Our Apostle abates the glory of the Law that he may giue more glory where it is more deserued to the Gospell For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glory The summe of the comparison is spent in these three generalls 1. There were Omnia terrena et externa all things outward and sauouring of earth ver 18. A Mount that might still be touched c. Here all Interna et coelestia spirituall and heauenly 2. There are all Obscura et caliginosa darke and difficult Blacknesse darknes c. Here all Clara et illustria cleare and conspicuous therfore the Prophet called Christ Solem Iustitiae The Sun of Righteousnesse and Iohn Baptist stiled him That light which lightens euery one comming into the world 3. There all were Terribilia fearefull and amazing not onely to the people ver 19. who intreated that the Word should not bee spoken to them any more But euen to Moses ver 21. So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Here all Amabilia et laeta louely as Rachel delightfull as Musike the Gospel is called the Message of peace Our Apostle therefore preacheth a double quantity in the Gospell Magnitudinem Gloriae multitudinem gratiae the greatnes of Glory to worke in vs reuerence the multitude of Grace to worke in vs loue obedience The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Christ Iesus The excellency of Christ aboue Moses is exemplified in the third Chapter of this Epistle Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a seruant But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house c. To the words the parts are generally two the Accesse and the Obiect First for the Accesse Yee are come What on your own feet without a Guide No Accessistis hoc est fide Euangelica perducti estis Yee are come that is yee are brought by the faith of the Gospel There is one that brings you God euery person in the blessed Trinity It is Opus Patris No man can come except the Father draw him Opus Filij Draw me we will runne after thee Opus spiritus sancti Let thy good spirit lead me into the Land of righteousnes Man is by nature in Zedechias case blind and lame Blind Non inuenisset viam nisi via inuenisset eum vnlesse the vvay had found him he could neuer haue found the way Lame he may know that the Temple of heauen hath a beautiful gate Grace but cannot come thither till God brings him loo sen his stupified ioynts and put into his hand the Almes of mercy This done he may enter into the Temple walking and leaping and praising GOD. Thus first he giues the Soule eyes vnderstanding then feet gracious affections and now expects that he should come God hath not so done all for thee that thou shouldest doe nothing for thy selfe A Deo sine te factus à te fine Deo infectus A Christo sine te refectus non à te fine Christo nec à Christo sine te perfectus God did create thee without thy selfe thou didst lose thy selfe without God without thy selfe Christ did redeeme thee but neither thy selfe without Christ nor Christ without thy selfe shall perfect thee Potest Dominus inueniri adueniri non praeueniri There may be a finding of God a comming to God but no preuenting of God Haue faith Hee that commeth to God must belieue and that of thine owne for there is no comming on anothers foote Thus that we might come to Christ Christ came to vs. Non de coelo merita nostra sed peccata traxerunt Not our merits but our maladies drew that great Physician from heauen to vs. Yee are not comming but come it is rather a time perfectly past then expectantly future Which plainely demonstrates that this is a description of the Church in her militant estate so well as triumphant Indeed either hath a relation to other a communion to other and the inestimable priuiledges of them both are wrapped vp together The connexion of Glory to Grace is so infallible that they often change names Heauen is called the kingdome of Holinesse and Holinesse is called the kingdome of Heauen Yee are saued by hope and Hee that belieueth hath euerlasting life and is passed from death to life So sure as if they were already in Heauen So Paul Our conuersation is in heauen from vvhence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. The obiect or place of our arriual is described by many excellent and honourable titles First it is called a Mount but is there so much happinesse in that Feriunt summos fulgura montes the highest Mountaines are most danger'd to the violences of Heauen ver 18. There was a Mount burning with fire This is no Mountaine of danger or terror but Sion safe pleasant delightfull Sion the ioy of the whole earth the beloued of GOD the Iohn that leaned on the bosome of Christ. The Lord loues the gates of Sion better then all the dwellings of Iacob But though a Mount though Mount Sion yet it might be a solitary and vnfrecuented Hill like that whereunto the Diuell tooke Christ and shewed him the kingdomes of the world vvhere a man can onely see glory not enioy it Or like that mount Nebo or top of Pisgah whereon Moses might onely stand and behold the Land of Canaan Not so but on this Mount there stands a City a populous Citie and full of buildings like that wherein Christ
that is called by my Name as I haue done to Shiloh It lies in the power of sinne to make the most blessed places accursed God turnes a fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of the inhabitants that dwell therein Ciuitatis euersio morum non murorum casus The ruine of a Citie is not the breach of the walls but the apostacie of manners Were our Fences stronger then the seuen-folde walls of Babylon the sinnes within would hurle downe the Bulwarkes without If there be Prauilegium among vs there is no Priuilegium for vs. This Sion then stands not on earthly foundations for at the generall dissolution the earth with all the workes in it Cities Castles Townes Towres shall be burnt vp If it were built on a saâ—…dy foundation when the raine the flouds and windes shall conspire against it it would fall and the fall of it would be great But Sion is built on Christ Behold I say in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious he that beleeueth on him shall not be confounded This is conspicuous by the Antithesis of Mount Sion with the Gospell to Mount Sinai with the Law The Apostlecals that montem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mount that might be touched if this had beene vpon earth it had also beene contrectabilis touchable but it is onely spirituall Hee alludes to Gods Prophesies and Promises Euangelium proditurum de monte Sion that the Gospel should come out of Mount Sion This is manifest to those that will consider and conferre these places Obad. vers 21. Esa. 2. 3. Mie 4. 2. Come let vs goe vp to the Mount of the Lord for out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the word of God from Ierusalem Esa. 59. 20. with Rom. 11. 26. There shall come out of Sion the Deliuerer and shall turne away vngodlinesse from Iacob Sinai gaue thraldome by Moses Sion giues freedome and saluation by Iesus These two words giue vs two comforts of grace Fortitudinem quia mons Beatitudinem quia mons Sion Securitie because it is a mountaine Felicity because it is Mount Sion 1. Heere is considerable the validity and strength of grace that comes by Christ we are not built in a valley but on a mount A mountaine hath euer beene held the place of safety I said in my prosperity I shall neuer be moued What is his reason Lord thou of thy fauour hast made my mountaine so strong But alas what are all the mountaines of the earth to mount Sion Woe to them that trust in the mountaines of Samaria The prophane Edomite stands on his mountain and derides the iudgement of God The Syrians thought God only Deum montium a God of the mountaines It was vpon the high mountaine that Israel played the harlot Many sit on their mountains and giue defiance to heauen The couetous mans mountaine is his riches there he thinkes himselfe safe Soule rest thou hast much goods layd vp for many yeares The ambitious mans mountaine is his honour and who dares finde fault with so promontorious a celsitude yes Euery mountaine shall be brought low Sensualitie is the voluptuous mans mountaine there he refugeth himselfe against all reproofes But when the iudgements of God shall come vpon the earth in vaine they shal cry to the mountaines Fallon vs and to the hills Couer vs. As neyther against the waters in the former Deluge so nor against the fire in the latter dissolution shall the mountaines defend onely this Mount Sion shall saue vs. The mountaine of worldly confidence hath not more strength of defending against the assaults of men then danger of exposing to the violences of heauen Heere is the difference betwixt the worldlings building and the Christians 1. They thinke themselues onely to build high aspiring to an equality with mountaines and as low builders poore deiected and reiected creatures But indeed they build low for all sublunary things are low buildings onely he that builds on this Mount Sion builds high and sure when all oppositions and aduersary forces haue done their worst he stands firme like Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but abideth fast for euer The Wise mans mind is euer aboue the Moone yea aboue the Sun What turbulencies soeuer be in the world all is peace there In my Fathers house there are many mansions In domo it is a house not a Tabernacle Of my Father for if he hath afforded such a house for his enemies how glorious is that he hath reserued for himselfe and his friends Patris mei saith Christ My Father your Father is able to giue you a cottage for your short life My Father giues a house for euer There are Mansions à manendo not moueable tents but mansions Many enow for all none shall be troubled for want of elbow-roome Therefore let all Mountaines stoope to this The mountaine of the Lord shall be established in the top of mountaines and shall be exalted aboue the hills and all Nations shal flowe vnto it This is Gods Mountaine who hath chosen of all Nations Israel of all Tribes Iuda of all Cities Ierusalem of all Temples that of Salomon of all Mountaines Mount Sion 2. The worldlings thinke this Mountaine is but a dreame because they cannot see it nor touch it But our Apostle sayes it is intrectabilis it cannot be touched with earthly fingers no profane feet must tread in those holy Courts Naturall mens vnderstandings are led by their senses Plus oculo quà m oraculo they will belieue no further then they see Giue mee good cheare sayes the Epicure this I can see and taste and tell not me of your spirituall banket in heauen Giue me good liquour sayes the Drunkard the bloud of the grape this giues colorem saporem odorem colour to the eye sauour to the palate odour to the sent heauen hath no Nectar like this Giue me honour saith the Ambitious which may aduaunce me that from this Mountaine of preferment I may ouerlooke the inferiour world and behold vassals prostrate to my Celsitude this I can feele and see tel not me of your inuisible kingdome and Such honour haue all his Saints Giue mee gorgeous apparell sayes the proud this vvill make me admir'd giue me admission among the great ones tell not me of our Robe of Glory Giue me gold saies the Couetous this I can see it is my Sunne by day and my Moone by night I can spend my time delightfully in telling feeling treasuring this neuer tell me of your treasure in heauen Well if there be no remedy but Sense must be your Religion and this world your God take your choise these grosse palpable things trust you in these Mountaines but Lord giue vs this Mount Sion which our Lord Iesus Christ hath established for vs. Now sith we are built vpon a Mountaine let vs know that we are conspicuous all the world takes notice of vs. The faithfull
the Eeues that vve may feast on the Holy-dayes let vs here abstaine from the table of sinne that wee may heereafter banket in the Kingdome of Heauen This is matter of comfort to vs heere the world condemns the godly therefore they shall haue a time of absoluing When that Generall Session comes then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nye There is no mercy to be had in this vvorld for the wicked themselues are accusers witnesses iudges but at that day a poore mans case will be heard Therefore the poore committeth himselfe vnto thee for thou art the helper of the fatherlesse Christ vvill take the cause into his own hand The soules vnder the Altar cry with a loud voyce How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Yes it is fit euery one should haue a day of hearing This is theirs that shall be ours The righteous shall reioyce when hee seeth the vengeance Reioyce yes they haue no charity to vs on earth vve must haue no charity to them in hell 2. The Commendation followes the calling Mat. 25. 35. For I was hungry and ye gaue me meate I was thirsty and ye gaue mee drinke c. Christ witnesseth their faith from the effects they brought foorth fruits of mercy Thus it is euident that not according to the internall habite of faith and charity but according to the externall acts proceeding from them is the reward bestowed Christ before iustified them by their faith apprehending his merits now hee iustifies them by testimony of that faith arising from their vvorkes The point Christ insists in is their workes of mercy which are sixe visito poto cibo redimo tego colligo fratres Giuing them meat drinke harbour clothing visitation in sicknesse redemption from bondage Where obserue that the maine point Christ will scanne at the last is the point of mercy Not how wise nor how learned nor how iust but how mercifull Ambr. Now if a Scholler standing for preferment knew directly that one question vvherein hee should be opposed he would study a full and ready answer to it We all know that one and maine question wherein Christ vvill examine vs vvhat vvorkes of mercy haue we done if we haue gotten no demonstration of mercy vve are vvorthily condemned Now their mercy is commended partly in respect of the obiect and partly in respect of the act For the obiect it is done to Christ happy mercy that is done to the Lord Iesus it shall neuer passe vnrewarded Ioash forgot the kindnesse of Iehoiada but the King of heauen will remember all the good done vnto him Sayes that good malefactor Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome I will not forget thee answeres Iesus To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise I was hungry and ye fedme I and me saith Christ. In regard of the act the thing they distribute and contribute is not bare vvords but actuall mercies food clothing c. This is the effect of a true faith not a verball but a reall working faith A faith not like that the Psalmist seemes to mention though in another sense I belieued ideo locutus sum and therefore I spake but such as the Apostle speakes of I belieued ideo operatus sum and therefore I wrought a faith working by loue It is easie to mistake Saint Paul Rom. 14. 22. Hast thou faith haue it to thy selfe before God vnlesse vve expound him by S. Iames Iam. 2. 18. Hast thou faith shew thy faith by thy workes If vve vvill be the children of Abraham who is the Father of them that belieue wee must bee so by Sara vvho is the mother of them that obey They that vvill be trees of righteousnesse in Gods garden must not bee like the fig-tree in the Gospell that had onely leaues no fruit but like the tree that brings forth her fruit in due season Or like Aarons rod that of a dead sticke hauing life and sappe put into it presently bare Almonds fruit no leaues spoken of Some giue words enow contrary to Moses who was a man of few vvords The Papists vvill rather loose a penny then a Paternoster these vvill giue ten Paternosters before one penny They giue the words of Nepthali pleasant words but no meate As if the poore were like Ephraim fed with the wind Or as if their word were verbum Domini the word of God that men might liue by it Salomon sayes Wisedome is good with an inheritance so good counsell is good vvith an almes If a famished man begge bread of thee and thou onely fallest to instruct his soule but deniest food to his body hee may reply as Hushai said to Absolon of Achitophels counsell The counsell that Achitophel hath giuen is good but not at this time Martial demands of Caius a small piece of siluer Quod vel donanti non graue Caius blamed him for his idle profession of Poetry counselled him to study the Lavv that vvould enrich him To him Martial Quod peto da mihi tu non peto consilium Giue me that I aske thee I doe not aske thee counsell Many are like S. Peters fish it had money in the mouth but not a hand to giue it Or like Diues his dogs they can licke a poore man vvith their tongues else giue him no reliefe Diogenes a witty begger would vsually walke in a place where earthen Statues were erected in honour of some that died for their country To them he would pray to them reach out his hand bow and beg being asked the reason he answered Nihil aliud quà m repulsam meditor I thinke of nothing but a repulse and deniall Wee haue many such liuing Statues meere Idols that haue mouthes and speake not eyes and pity not hands and giue not the poore are sure of nothing but a repulse 3. The reply or question vpon this commendation made by the Saints Math. 25. 37. Then shall the righteous answere him Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fedde thee or thirstie and gaue thee drinke c. This is no deniall of that truth Christ hath auouched But 1. to magnifie Christs mercy who takes these workes as done to himselfe which are done for his sake Let no couetous Churle plead he wants subiects vpon whom to exercise his mercy Pauper vbique iacet which way can he walke and not behold one hungry another thirsty c 2. To testifie their humilitie that albeit these things are true yet they acknowledge no merite in them they haue not done so much of these as they ought Besides they might haue an after-consideration of their sinnes past which valued with their good works they find one to out-weigh a thousand The Papists ostent their merits on earth the Saints dare not doe so euen ready for heauen but cast downe their crownes before the Throne saying
the Church by vsurpations to exact interests and forfets these be nothing So the mony might not be put into the Treasury that might hire Iudas to betray his master The tenne brethren were so iust as to returne the mony in their sackes yet stucke not to sell their brother Ioseph Some are iust in great things not in small As the other straine at a gnat and swallow a camell so these are like the nette that takes the great fishes and le ts goe thâ—… little frie. Wantonnesse is no fault with them if it extend not to adultery They sticke not to sweare so long as they sweare not to a lie Maliciously to hate or peeuishly to quarrell is triuiall if they proceede not to blowes and bloud So long as they are not drunke swallow downe wine and spare not De minimis non curat Lex the Law takes no notice of small faults But indeed Eadem ratio rotunditatis there is the same respect of roundnesse in a penny that is in a platter though not of largenes To steal the bridle as to steale the horse is Tam though not Tantum such a sin though not so great a sinne Thou sayest minimum est minimum est it is little it is little Sed in minimo fidelem esse magnum est to bee faithfull in a little is a great vertue Whosoeuer shall breake one of these least commandements hee shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen Erit minimus that is Nullus he shall be least in heauen that is he shall not be there at all But well done good seruant Because thou hast beene faithfull in a very little haue thou authority ouer tenne Cities Benè vtere paruo fruere magno the iust dispensation of a little shall bring thee to be intrusted with much Whether great or small wee must be iust if we looke euer to raigne with these iust spirits Ad societatem iustorum non admittuntur nisi iusti I wonder what place the defrauder expects that wraps vp his conscience in a bundle of stuffes and sweares it away The buyer thinkes he is iust and hee is iust cousoned no more The Vsurer would storme and stare as if had seene a spirit if hee were taxed for vniust Presently he consults his Scriptures his bonds and his Priest his Scriuener and there the one sweares the other shewes in blacke and white that he takes but ten in the hundred Is he then vniust Yes Thou hast taken vsury and increase and hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion Hee takes hire for that should be freely lent is not this vniust Besides the people curse it and they curse not but for iniustice I haue neyther lent on vsurie nor men haue lent me on vsury yet euery one doth curse me Insinuating that if a man lend vpon vsury it is no wonder if the people curse him Where must the Lay-Parson sit that fattes himselfe with the Tyth-graine will not giue the poore Minister the straw Is this iust He takes the tenth of his neighbours profits and neuer so much as reades him an Homelie for it is this iust Hee layes sactilegious hands on Gods sanctified things and neuer askes him leaue is this iust Where shall the Engrosser appeare that hoords vp commodities bought with ready mony and when he vents them makes the poore pay treble vsury for it is this iust What shall become of that vnspeakeably rich Transporter who carries out men and money to the impouerishing of the Land and brings home gawdes and puppets fitte for no bodies vse but prides Surely as heauen is for Iust spirits so there is some other place for the vniust Know ye not that the vniust shall not inherite the kingdome of God If not Gods kingdome then the kingdome of darkenes downewards hell I do not say that euery vniust deed throwes a soule thither Iniustum esse damnat non iniustè semel agere to be vniust is damnable not one thing vniustly done the habite not the act But for others Qui iniustè dominantur iâ—…stè damnantur They haue vniustly liued but they shall bee iustly condemned Made perfect This is a passiue quality non qui se perficiunt sed qui perficiuntur not such as haue made themselues perfect but are made perfect The other property is actiuely expressed Iust it is not said Iustified not that they made themselues iust but that Christs righteousnesse hath iustified them so both they are and are reputed iust But here passiuely Perfected which plainely shewes that all is from God for omne maius includit minus If onely Christ make them perfect then only Christ doth make them â—…ust For it is nothing so difficult for a iust man to become perfect as for an euill man to become iust As it is easier for a man healed and directed the way to come to the goale then for him that lies lame in darknesse Qui dedit ingressum must also dare progressum conficere perficere to make and to make vp to doe and to perfect are both the workes of God Wee could neuer be iust vnlesse Christ iustifie vs neuer come to perfection vnlesse he perfect vs. He that begun this good work must also finish it Made perfect In heauen are none but the perfect Talis sedes expectat talem sessorem such a house requires such an inhabitant On earth there is a kind of Perfection all the faithfull are perfectly iustified but not perfectly sanctified The reprobates are perfectè imperfecti the godly imperfectè perfecti those perfectly imperfect these imperfectly perfect They are so perfect that they are acquitted in Christ and there remaines no iudgement for them but onely a declaration of their pardon Iustification admits no latitude in it nec magis nec minus for none can be more then iust But the perfection of sanctity is wrought by degrees non plenam induimus perfectionem donec totam exuimus infectionem all the staines of our infection must first be cleansed and quite washed away before this full perfection be giuen vs. Christs bloud doth now wholly take from vs the guiltinesse of sin not wholly the pollution of sinne that blessednesse is reserued only for heauen Let vs therefore be perficientes going and growing vp that at last we may be Perfecti made perfecti This is not wrought on a sodain a child doth not presently become a man Euen the Lord Iesus had his time of growing and can any member grow faster then the Head Indeed the malefactor on the crosse shot vp in an houre but this was miraculous and God seldome workes by such miracles God neyther sends Angels from heauen nor the dead from hell to giue warning to men vpon earth If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they bee perswaded though one rose from the dead But repentance hath the promise of a Qandocunque whensoeuer a sinner repents c. I will not limit Gods infinite mercy but onely
wicked will not grapple vpon equall termes they must haue either locall or ceremoniall aduantage But the godly are weake and poore and it is not hard to prey vpon prostrate fortunes A lowe hedge is soone troden downe and ouer a vvretch deiected on the base earth an insulting enemy may easily stride Whiles Dauid is downe or rather in him figured the Church the plowers may plow vpon his backe and make long their furrowes But what if they ride ouer our heads and wound our flesh let them not wound our patience Though we seale the bond of conscience vvith the bloud of innocence though we lose our liues let vs not lose our patience Lactantius sayes of the Philosophers that they had a sword and wanted a buckler but a buckler doth better become a Christian then a sword Let vs know Non nunc honoris nostri tempus esse sed doloris sed passionis that this is not the time of our ioy and honour but of our passion and sorow Therfore let vs with patience runne the race c. But leaue vvee our selues thus suffring and come to speake of that we must be content to feele the oppression of our enemies Wherein we will consider the Agents Actions The Agents Are Men. Thou hast caused men to ride c. Man is a sociable liuing creature and should conuerse with man in loue and tranquillity Man should be a supporter of man is he become an ouerthrower He should help and keep him vp doth he ride ouer him and tread him vnder foot O Apostacie not onely from diuinitie but euen from humanitie Quid homini inimicissimum Homo The greatest danger that befalls man comes whence it should least come from man himselfe Caetera animantia saith Plinie in suo genere probe degunt c. Lyons fight not vvith Lions Serpents spend not their venims on serpents but Man is the maine suborner of mischiefe to his ovvne kind It is reported of the Bees that â—…grotante vna lamentâ—…ntur omnes when one is sicke they all mourne And of Sheepe that if one of them be faint the rest of the flocke will stand betweene it and the Sunne till it be reuiued onely man to man is most pernicious Wee knowe that a bird yea a bird of rapine once fed a man in the Wildernesse that a beast yea a beast of fierce cruelty spared a man in his denne Whereupon saith a learned Father Ferae parcunt aues pascunt hommes saeuiunt The birds feed man and the beasts spare him but man rageth against him Wherefore I may well conclude with Salomon Prou. 17. Let a Bearerobbed of her whelps meet a man rather then a foole in his folly God hath hewne vs all out of one rock temperd all our bodies of one clay and spirited our soules of one breath Therefore saith Augustine Sith we proceed all out of one stock let vs all be of one mind Beasts molest not their owne kind and birds of a feather flie louingly together Not onely the blessed Angels of heauen agree in a mutuall harmonie but euen the very diuells of hell are not diuided lest they ruine their kingdome We haue one greater reason of vnitie and loue obserued then all the rest For whereas God made not all Angels of one Angell nor all beasts of the great Behemoth nor all fishes of the huge Leuiathan nor all birds of the maiesticall Eagle yet hee made all men of one Man Let vs then not iarre in the dispensation of our mindes that so agree in the composition of our natures You see how inhumane and vnnaturall it is for man to wrong man of his owne kinde and as it were of his owne kinne Thus for the Agents The Action Is amplified in diuers circumstances climbing vp by rough staires to a high transcendency of Oppression It ariseth thus In Riding Riding ouer vs. Riding ouer our Heads Driuing vs through fire and water 1. They ride What need they mount themselues vpon beasts that haue feete malicious enough to trample on vs They haue a Foote of Pride Psalm 36. from which Dauid prayed to bee deliuered A presumptuous heele which they dare lift vp against God and therefore a tyrannous toe to spurne deiected man They need not horses and mules that can kicke with the foote of a reuengefull malice 2. Ouer vs. The way is broad enough wherein they trauell for it is the Deuils roade they might well misse the poore there is roome enough besides they need not ride Ouer vs. It were more braue for them to iustle with champions that will not giue them the way wee neuer contend for their path they haue it without our enuie not without our pitie why should they ride Ouer vs 3. Ouer our heads Is it not contentment enough to their pride to ride to their malice to ride ouer vs but must they delight in bloudinesse to ride ouer our heads will not the breaking of our armes and legges and such inferiour limbes satisfie their indignation Is it not enough to wracke our strength to mocke our innocence to prey on our estates but must they thirst after our blouds and liues Quò tendit saua libido whither will their madnesse runne But we must not tie our selues to the latter Heere is a mysticall or metaphoricall gradation of their cruelty Their Riding Ouer vs Ouer our heads is Proud Malicious Bloudy Oppression They Ride This phrase describes a vice compounded of two damnable ingredients Pride and Tyrannie It was a part of Gods fearefull curse to rebellious recidiuation Deut. 28. that their enemies should ride and triumph ouer them and they should come downe very low vnder their feet It is deliuered for a notorious marke of the great Whore of Babylons pride that she rides vpon a scarlet-colou'rd Beast Saint Paul seemes to apply the same word to oppression 1. Thes. 4. That no man oppresse his brother The originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe vpon him climbe on him or tread him vnder foote O blasphemous height of villany not onely by false slanders to betray a mans innocence nor to lay violent hands vpon his estate but to trip vp his heels with frauds or to lay him along with iniuries and then to trample on him And because the foote of man for that should bee soft and fauouring cannot dispatch him to mount vpon beasts wilde and fauage affections and to ride vpon him Ouer vs. This argues their malice It were a token of wilfull spight for a horseman in a great rode to refuse all way and to ride ouer a poore traueller Such is the implacable malice of these persecutors Esa. 59. Wasting and destruction are in their paths yea wasting and destruction are their paths They haue fierce lookes and truculent hearts their very breath is ruine and euery print of their foot vastation They neyther reuerence the aged nor pity the sucking infant Virgins cannot auoid their rapes nor women with
yet the heart must hold The wretchednesse is it cannot burst Poena gehennales torquent non extorquent puniunt non finiunt corpora It is called by Augustine Mors sine morte sinis sine fine defectus sine defectu But some will say Your Text speakes of Proportion how can eternall vengeance bee proportionable to a momentany offence Yes first an infinite God is offended and a finite man is the offender Because he cannot be capable of an infinite wrath at once he must haue it in eternity the short dimensions of his Essence must haue a long extention of his punishment what wants in place must be supplied in time Christ indeed suffered enough in a short time because he was infinite man cannot doe so and therefore must be for euer in suffering Secondly he that delights in sinne desires it may alwayes continue and velle peccatum est peccatum so that an infinite desire must needs haue an infinite punishment Qui moritur sine poenitentia si semper viueret semper peccaret He that dies without repentance if he should euer liue would euer sinne So Gregor It is Gods iust iudgement Vt nunquam mortuâ—…s careâ—…t supplicio qui nunquam vâ—…uus voluit carere peccato That he dead should haue eternall punishment who liuing would haue beene eternally wicked Vt nullus detur inâ—…quo terminus vltionis qui quamdâ—… valuiâ—… habere noluit terminum criminis That no end should be allowed to his vengeance that would haue allowed himselfe no end of wickednes As the good man if he should euer liue would euer doe well If thou wilt therefore offend in aeterno tuo God must punish iâ—… aeterno suo Thy iniustice would put no date to thy sins Gods Iustice shall set no date to thy sufferings Thus ye haue plowed wickednesse and ye haue reaped iniquity You see the wickeds Seeding and Haruest God keepe vs from sowing such seed that we may neuer reape such a crop The godly haue also their Seeding and their Hâ—…uest All their sowing may be distinguished Into Pietie towards God Charity towards men For Pietie They sowe in Faith and God will blesse that Seede it shall grow vp to heauen for it is sowne in the side of Iesus Christ who is in heauen He that beleeueth on God there is the seed shall haue euerlasting life there is the Haruest Qui credit quod non videt videbit quod credit Hee that beleeues what he doth not see there 's the Seed shall one day see what he hath beleeued there is the Haruest They sow in obedience this is also a blessed Seed that will not faile to prosper wheresoeuer it is cast If ye keep my Commandements there 's the Seed ye shall abide in my Loue there 's the Haruest Rom. 6. Ye are the seruants to God and haue your fruite vnto holinesse there 's the sowing and the end euerlasting life there 's the Reaping Obedientia in terris regnabit in coelis He that serues God on earth and sowes the seed of Obedience shall in heauen reape the haruest of a kingdome They sowe in Repentance and this seed must needes grow vp to blessednesse Psalm 126. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy Hee that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed there 's the sowing shall doubtles come againe with reioycing bringing his sheaues with him there 's the Haruest Many Saints haue now reaped this croppe in heauen that sowed their seed in teares Dauid Marie Magdalen Peter as if they had made the Prouerbe No comming to heauen with dry eyes Thus nature and God differ in their proceedings To haue a good crop on earth we desire a faire Seed-time but heere a wet time of sowing shall bring the best Haruest in the Barne of heauen Blessed are they that mourne there 's the seeding for they shall be comforted there 's the Haruest Lastly they sowe in renouncing of the world and adherence to Christ and they reape a great Haruest Behold saith Peter to Christ we haue forsaken all and followed thee there 's the Seeding What shall wee haue therefore what You shall sit on twelue thrones iudging the â—…vvelue tribes of Israel all that you haue lost shall bee centupled to you and you shall inherit euerlasting life ther 's the Haruest Sow to your selues in righteousnesse and reape in mercy For Charitie He that sowes this seed shall be sure of a plentifull crop Whosoeuer shall giue to drinke to one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely a little refreshing in the name of a Disciple verily I say vnto you he shall in no wise lose his reward But if he that giueth a little shall be thus recompenced then He that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully Therefore sparse abroad with a full hand like a Seeds-man in a broad field without feare Doth any thinke he shall lose by his charitie No worldling when he sowes his seed thinkes hee shall lose his seed he hopes for amendment at haruest Darest thou trust the ground and not God Sure God is a better pay-master then the earth Grace doth giue a larger recompence then nature Below thou may est receiue forty graines for one but in heauen by the promise of Christ a hundreth fold a measure heapen and shaken and thrust together and yet running ouer Blessed is he that considereth the poore there 's the Seeding the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble there 's the Haruest Is this all No Math. 25. Ye fedde me when I was hungry and gaue me drinke thirsty comforted me in misery there 's the sowing Veni beati Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you there 's the Haruest I shut vp this point with the Apostles Blessing Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousnesse God send you a good Haruest I conclude Whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he also reape O that this Text might be true vpon all vs at this time The Lord hath sowne the seede of his Gospell O that he might reape your soules to his glory But shall we hope for that which the Prophets found not I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength for nought saith Esay Nor the Apostles I haue fished all night and caught nothing saith Peter No nor Christ himselfe who spake as neuer man spake Yet himselfe telleth vs Math. 13. that of foure sorts of ground wherein the seed was sowne three were barren and returned no fruit Alas how much seed is sowne among thornes rockes and high-way grounds you come to receiue this seed but it fructifies not You bring forth hedge-fruit like the Heathen scarce so good We heare often and as often forget Yet still Beloued this Text shall be true God hath sowne and he will reape sowne his
Country of Earth describe the glorious Court of Heauen Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God Glorious Cities haue beene and are in the world Rome was eminently famous all her Citizens like so many kings yet was it obserued Illic homines more that men did die there But in this Citie there is no dying Mors non erit vltra There shall be no more death I will narrow vp my discourse to consider in this City only 3. things The Situation Society Glory The Situation It is placed aboue Gal. 4. Ierusalem which is aboue is free the mother of vs all Heauen is in excelsis His foundation is in the holy mountaines So was Ierusalem seated on earth to figure this Citie built on the Quarrey of heauen Dan. 2. On Saphyres Emeralds and Chrysolites Reu. 21. There is a heauen now ouer our heads but it shall vvaxe olde as a garment It is corruptible and so combustible This Citie is eternall Mount Sion neuer to bee moued a kingdome neuer to be shaken Wee are now vnder this lower heauen then this shall be vnder vs. That which is our Canopy shall be our Pauement The Society The King that rules there is one Almighty God in three distinct persons Hee made this City for himselfe In his presence is the fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at his right hand for euermore If hee gaue such a house as this world is to his enemies what may we thinke hath hee prouided for himselfe and his friends But will GOD dwell there alone He is neuer alone himselfe is to himselfe the best and most excellent company Neuerthelesse he vouchsafes a dwelling here to some Citizens and these are eyther Created so Assumed or Assigned 1. Created Citizens are the blessed Angels who from their first creation haue enioyed the freedom of this City They stand alwaies in the presence of God they can neuer lose their happinesse 2. Assumed those whose spirits are already in heauen Hebr. 12. There are the spirits of iust men made perfect They are already in soule taken vp and made free Denisons of this Citie 3. Assigned the Elect that liue in the militant Church waiting for the day of their bodies Redemption crying still Come Lord Iesus come quickly These are Conscripti written in the Lambes booke of life Now though we are not already in full possession because our apprentiship of this life is not out yet we are already Citizens Ye are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow Citizens vvith the Saints and of the houshold of God And we haue three happy priuiledges of Citizens 1. Libertas Freedome from the Law not from obedience to it but from the curse of it Praestemus quod possumus quod non possumus non damnabit Let vs keepe so much of it as we can what wee cannot keepe shall not eondemne vs. Liberty in the vse of these earthly things heauen earth ayre sea with all their creatures do vs seruice Whether things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. Tutela Imperij The Kings protection Psalm 91. Angelis mandauit Hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs in all our wayes Is this all No. vers 4. Hee couers vs with his fethers and vnder his wings doe wee trust his truâ—…h is our shield and our buckler Our dangers are many in some places and some in all places we haue Gods owne Guard royall to keepe vs. They are sent from God to minister for their sakes which shall be heyres of saluation I need not determine whether euery particular person hath his particular Angell Saint Augustine hath wel answered Quando hoc nesciatur sine crimine non opus est vt definiatur cum discrimine Since our ignorance is no fault let vs not trouble our selues with curious discussion Bernard directs vs a good vse of it Quantam debet hoc tibi inferre reuerentiam afferre deuotionem conferre fiduciam The consideration of the guard of Angels about vs should put into our mindes reuerence into our hearts deuotion into our soules confidence 3. Defensio Legis the defensiue protection of the Law Christis our Aduocate Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Wee are impleaded Paul appeales to Caesar wee to Christ. The Deuill accuseth vs we are far remote behold our Counsellor is in heauen that will not let our cause fall or be ouerthrowne If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous Thus are we Citizens in present shall be more perfectly at last We haue now right to the Citie wee shall then haue right in the City Wee haue now a purchase of the possession shall then haue a possession of the purchase Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen mee bee with me where I am that they may behold my glory This is our Sauiours Will Testament and shall not be broken The Company then addes to the glory of this City We are loth to leaue this world for loue of a few friends subiect to mutual dislikes but what then is the delight in the Society of Saints where thy glorified selfe shall meet with thy glorified friends and your loue shall be as euerlasting as your glory There be those Angels that protected thee those Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs that by doctrine and example taught thee yea there is that blessed Sauior that redeemed thee Often heere with grones and teares thou seekest him whom thy soule loueth loe there he shall neuer be out of thy sight The Glory The glory Non mihi si centum linguae If I had a hundred tongues I was not able to discourse throughly the least dramme of that inestimable weight of glory The eye hath seene much the eare hath heard more and the heart hath conceiued most of all But no eye hath seene nor eare heard nor heart apprehended the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Augustine after a stand Deus habet quod exhibeat God hath something to bestowe on you If I say wee shall be satiate you will think of lothing if wee shall not be satiate you will thinke of hunger But Ibi nec fames nec fastidium there is neither hunger nor lothing Sed Deus habet quod exhibeat No sooner is the soule within those gates but she is glorious Similem sibi reddit ingredientem Heauen shall make them that enter it like it selfe glorious As the ayre by the Sunnes brightnesse is transformed bright Quanta falici tas vbi nullum erit malum nullum deerit bonum How great is that blessednesse where shall be no euill present no good absent This is a blessed Citie Men are ambitious heere and seeke to be free of great Cities and not seldome buy it dearer then the Captaine bought his Burgeship But no such
man to my horse So these worldlings looke to their bodies let who will take care of their soules But when this night comes with what a price would they purchase againe their Soules so morgag'd to the deuill for a little vanitie Now curare non volunt then recuperare non valent With what studious and artificiall cost is the body adorned whiles the beggerly soule lyes in totterd ragges The flesh is pleased with the purest flowre of the Wheat and reddest bloud of the grape the soule is famished The body is allowed libertie euen to licentiousnesse the Soule is vnder Satans locke and key shackled with the fetters of ignorance and impietie At this nights terrour to what bondage hunger cold calamitie would they not subiect their bodies to free their soules out of that friendlesse and endlesse prison Why cannot men thinke of this before it be too late It will sound harshly in thine eare O thou riotous or auarous worldling when this Passing-bell rings Thy soule shall be required If the Prince should confiscate thy goods which thou louest so dearly this newes would strike cold to thy heart but here thy soule is confiscate The deuill prizeth this most he sayes as the King of Sodome to Abraham Da mihi animas caetera sumetibi Giue me the Soule take the rest to thy selfe Of whom Of thee that hadst so prouided for thy soule in another place for though earth be a dungeon in regard of heauen yet is it a Paradise in respect of hell This world was his selected and affected home and from thence shall death plucke him out by the eares If this newes of the Soules requiring had come to a faithfull Christian hee would haue welcommed it and iudged it onely the voice of the Feast-maker finding him in the humble roome of this base earth Friend sitte vp higher Or that voice of heauen that spake to Iohn Come vp hither Sit no longer in the vale of teares but ascend the mountaine of glory A trumpet calling him to Mount Tabor where he shall be transfigured for euer This time would be to him the non vltra of his ioyes and desires he fought all his combate for this that he might receiue the end of his faith the saluation of his soule Hee is content to liue here till God call him but his desire is to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Bonus vitam habet in patientia mortem in desiderio Hee is patient to liue but vvilling to die To him the day of death is better then the day of his birth Iob cursed the day of his birth And Ieremie said Let not the day wherein my Mother bare me be blessed But blessed is the houre of death So saith the Spirit blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours Both Philosophers and Poets could so commend the happinesse of this time that they thought no good man truly happy till it saluted him Dicique beatus Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet The Ethnikes ignorant of a better life future honour'd this with great solemnities and kept prodigall feasts on their Birth-dayes as Herod when he was serued vvith the Baptists head for his second course But the Christians were wont to celebrate the funeralls of the Martyrs as if we did then onely begin truely to liue when we die For though the soule is gotten when man is made yet it is as it were borne when he dies his body beeing the wombe and death the Midwife that deliuers it to glorious perfection The good man may then well say Mors mihi munus erit with a Poet or rather Death shall be my aduantage with an Apostle His happiest houre is when In manus tuas Domine he can say Into thy hands Lord I cōmend my soule For Anima nō amittitur sed praemittitur But this Of thee is terrible Thou that neuer preparedst for death were at a league with hell securely rocked asleep in the cradle of thy Barne that didst put farre away from thee the euill day giuen it a charge de non instando thou that cryedst Peace peace on thee shall come sudden destruction thou that saidst Soule be merry to sorrow shall Thy soule be required Thou that neuer esteemedst thy soule so deare as thy wealth but didst set that after thy stables which might haue been equal to Angels Thy soule Thou that wert loth to heare of death as hauing no hope of future bliss that wouldest not giue thy possession on earth for thy expectation in heauen as that French Cardinall that said He would not giue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Of thee shall a soule be required This poynt is sharpe and makes vp his miserie Hovv Required The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall require it This is such a requiring as cannot be withstood GOD requires thy obedience thou deniest it the poore require thy charitie thou deniest it the World requires thy equitie thou deniest it But when thy soule shall be required there must be no denying of that it cannot be withheld Who shall require this soule Not God he required it in thy life to sanctifie it and saue it thou wouldest not harken to him now hee vvill none of it What should God doewith a drunken profane couetous polluted sensuall soule He offerd it the Gospell it would not belieue the bloud of Christ it would not wash and be cleane it is foule and nastie God requires it not Or if he require it it is to iudge and condemne it not to reserue and keepe it Recusabit Deus iam oblatum quod negabas illi requisitum God will refuse thy soule now offred which thou deniedst him vvhiles hee desired Not heauen those chrystalline walks are not for muddy feete nor shall lust-infected eyes looke within those holy dores In no wise shall enter into that City any thing that defileth or worketh abomination There is a roome without for such Chap. 22. 15. a black roome for blacke workes What should a worldling doe in heauen his heart so full of enuie and couetice would not brooke anothers felicitie If there be no gold there he cares not for comming at it But he shal be fitted for as he requires not heauen so heauen requires not him It will spare him no place not that it wants roome to receiue him but because his heart wants roome to desire it The vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God But because this generall menace doth not terrifie him read his particular name in the bill of inditement ver 10. Nor the Couetous Heauen is for men of an heauenly conuersation It was but Nebuchadnezzars dreame Dan. 2. GOD will not set a golden head vpon earthen feet giue the glory of heauen to him that loues nothing but the basenesse of this world The Angels require it not those celestiall Porters that carry the soules
him from walking to standing from standing to sitting stil and this is limen inferni the very threshold of hell Wee iudge of sinne as of the Sunne little because far off yet indeed it is bigger then the earth The neerer wee come to the sense of iniquity the greater it appeares Was it such a sinne for Adam to eate a forbidden Apple Yes the greatnes is remonstrable in the euent it brought destruction vpon himselfe and his posterity Is it such a haynous offence for Dauid to know the number of his people Doe not Princes make good their Muster-books by such a Quare and numeration The plague witnessed the greatnesse of it and himselfe cryes Peccaui I haue done wickedly Looke on the least sin in Satans false glasse and it seemes contemptible behold it in the true glasse of Gods Law and it appeares abhominable The Deuill stands betwixt wicked men and their sinnes all their life but placeth their sinnes betwixt heauen and themselues in death writes them in Text letters on the Curtaines that their amazed soules cannot chuse but read them Thus he that led them liuing by sin to presumption now driues them dying by sinne to desperation Satan seemes modest and will bee contented vvith a little when hee can get no more he will play at small game before he sit out Wilt thou not cut throats yet quarrell and appoint fields not so yet hate thine enemies not professe hatred yet watch occasions to hinder his good if thou wilt not iniure his estate yet at least scandalize his good name He will take little rather then nothing The Israelites in the Desart had no rich and costly sacrifices to offer to Baal Peor They had not such store of beasts but the oblations to God tooke them vp I cannot see what they should haue fit for this sacrifice to Baal except Manna and water too good for the Deuill but hee â—…s content with this Yet it is euident that they committed Idolatry Neyther be yee Idolaters as were some of them as it is written The people sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Rather then want their custome Satan will take such as they had Will Naaman worship God yet let him worship Rimmon too no hee will not doe so yet let him bow to Rimmon no nor so much yet let him bow before Rimmon the Deuill is glad of this where he can get no more Thus Pharaoh minceth and limits with Moses concerning the dismission of Israel Gods charge was Let my people goe three daies iourney in the wildernesse to celebrate a feast to the Lord. Now marke how Pharaoh would compound it First Sacrifice to God in this land no saith Moses wee must goe into the wildernesse Then saith Pharaoh If there be no remedy Goe and goe to the wildernesse and sacrifice to your God but goe not farre nay wee must goe three dayes iourney Then Pharaoh Goe ye the men but leaue your children behinde you nay we must goe old and young sons and daughters Then Pharaoh Goe ye men women and children so farre as your feet can measure in three dayes but your flocks and your heards shall be stayd nay we will not leaue a hoofe behinde vs. So when the Deuill perceiues no remedy hee falls to indenting with niggardly grants and allowances Somwhat hath some sauor giue him at least a thought a word a looke as Lots wife and it something pleaseth him Among the Heathen they vsed to ioyne together Epula and Sacrificia with solemne sacrifices to their gods solemne bankets among themselues So the Apostle deliuers the custome of the Moabites 1. Cor. 10. 7. In the midst of their Idolatry they sate downe to eate drinke So the Psalmist writes of that cursed commixtion of Israel with Moab that they had Idolatrous feasts They ioyned themselues to Baal-Peor and did eate the sacrifices of the dead One nation had a custome in these superstious feasts to sacrifice to their Idol Capita some Noble mens heads according as it fell to their lots together with their hearts and their liuers It came to the turne of the Kings speciall fauourite thus to lose his life the King resoluing both to keep the custome yet to saue his friend obiected that God was no murderer nor delighted in the bloud of men That if he were a God he was certainely good and goodnesse stood not in the desire of his owne creatures destruction Therefore in stead of the mans head he offered the head of an onyon and for bloud heart and liuers of men all these of birds or beasts The Deuill must be pleased with this hee saw that this little homage was some acknowledgement of his soueraignty Satan can hold a mans soule in by a little as a bird that hangs in the net by a claw Perhaps shame feare keepes some from eruption into scandalous things the appearance is vizarded the affection is not mortified Like an Eunuch he doth not beget palpable grosse turpitudes yet hath a lust itch and concupiscence this little serues the Deuils turne Satan would keepe away the light of the Truth from a man well he is so seated that hee will haue it by knowledge he seemes to cast out Satan Yet if he can but insinuate into his affection this little cord will pull him in againe with ease Must he lose the Sconce of thy vnderstanding Let him hold the Cittadell of thy desires this little gate will let him in at his pleasure I draw to conclusion let this teach vs all to make a scrutiny in our soules and seriously to repent of this little leuen Little in quantity great in quality little in estimation powerfull in operation Little in the sight of men iudging by outward appearance great in the sight of God iudging in truth Lot said of the City of Zoar Is it not a little one and my soule shall liue thou sayest of thy sinne Is it not a little one and why should my soule die A little Posterne opened may betray the greatest City Ionathan tasted but a little honey on the top of his wand and hardly he escaped death for it A little leauen makes the head heauy and the heart sicke Eschevv this little if thou wouldst be great in heauen For whosoeuer shall breake one of these least Commandements hee shall bee called least in the kingdome of heauen Minimus that is indeed Nullus the least there because he shall not be there at all Let no tang of corruption come to thy least part if thou desirest to preserue body and soule blamelesse to the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. Repentance must be to all dead workes sanctification takes liberty in no sinne Nullum peccatum retinendum spe remissionis No euill must be reserued vnder the hope of forgiuenesse God gaue a Law but no dispensation for any breach of it his Generall rules haue no exceptions vnlesse it please the Diuine Oracle
the other walke after that direction and they vvill bring the soule to heauen For Transition or Passing as the feete corporally so these spiritually mooue and conduct the man from place to place Indeed none can come to the Sonne vnlesse the Father draw him but when he hath giuen vs feet he looks we should goe Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare he that hath hands let him worke hee that hath feet let him goe Hence is that exhortation Draw neer to God he will draw neer to you In this foot-manship there is Terminus à quo recedimus Terminus ad quem accedimus motus per quem procedimus From the waies of darknes from the wages of darknes to the fruition of light to the counersation in light From darknes exterior interiour inferiour Outward this land is full of darknes fraught operibus tenebrarum with the works of darknesse Inward Hauing the vnderstanding darkned being alienated froÌ„ the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnes of their heart Outer darkenesse that which Christ cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or lower darkenesse Hee hath reserued the Lost angels in euer lasting chaines vnder darkenesse Vnto light externall internall eternall Outward Light Thy word is a lampe vnto my feet and a light vnto my path Inward light In the hidden parts thou shalt make mee to know wisedom Euerlasting Light They shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer and euer Blessed feet that carry vs to That light which lightneth euery man that commeth into the world and to the beames of that Sunne which giues light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death happy feet they shall bee guided into the way of peace Looke to thy foote wheresoeuer thou treadest beware the gardens of temporall pleasures Est aliquid quod in ipsis floriâ—… angat It is worse going on fertile ground then on baâ—… the smooth wayes of prosperity are slippery in rough â—…fflictions we may take sure footing Let your feet bee â—…od saith Paul your affections restrained barre lust of her vaine obiects turne her from earth to heauen Set her a trauelling not after riches but graces Keepe the foot of desire still going but put it in the right way direct it to euerlasting blessednes And this is 3. The End whither we must goe to perfection Thou hast done well yet goe on still Nihil praesumitur actum dum superest aliquid ad agenduÌ„ nothing is said to be done whiles any part remaines to doe No man can goe too far in goodnesse Nimis iustus et nimis sapiens potes esse non nimis bonus Thou maiest be too iust thou maist be too wise but thou canst neuer be too good Summae religionis est imitari quem colis It is a true height of religion to be a follower of that God of whom thou art a worshipper Come so nigh to God as possibly thou canst in imitation not of his power wisedome maiestie but of his mercie Be holy as the Lord is holy Be merciful as your heauenly Father is mercifull The going on forward to this perfection shall not displease him but crowne thee Giue not ouer this going vntill with Saint Paul thou haue quite finished thy course Aime at perfection shoot at this marke though thou cannot reach it When the wrastling Angel said to Iacob Let me goe for the day breaketh he answered I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me happy perseuerance When I caught him whom my soule loued I held him and would not let him goe O sweet Iesus who would let thee goe Qui tenes tenentem apprehendentem fortificus fortificatum confirmas confirmatum perficis perfectum coronas Thou that holdest him that holdeth thee that strengthenest him that trusteth thee confirmest whom thou hast strengthened perfectest whom thou hast confirmed and crownest whom thou hast perfected In the behalfe of this continuance the Holy Ghost giues those exhortations Hold fast Stand fast Hold that thou hast that no man take thy crowne The same to the Church of Thyatira Tene quod habes Reu. 2. 25. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free It is an ill hearing Ye not doe but did runne well The Prophet in his threnes weepes that they which were brought vp in scarlet embrace dunghils It is iust matter of lamentation when soules which haue beene clad with zeale as with scarlet constantly forward for the glory of God fall to such Apostacie as with Demas to embrace the duÌ„ghil of this world and with an auarous hausture to lick vp the mudde of corruption Ioseph had a coat reaching downe to his feete our religion must be such a garment neither too scant to couer nor too short to continue ad vltimum to the last day of our temporary breath Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life this crowne is promised to a good beginning but performed to a good ending Striue to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height If we can comprehend with the Saints not onely the height of hope the depth of faith the breadth of charity but also the length of continuance we are blessed for euer Euen the tired horse when he comes neere home mends his pace be good alwaies vvithout wearinesse but best at last that the neerer thou commest to the end of thy dayes the neerer thou mayest be to the end of thy hopes the saluation of thy soule Omnis coelestis Curia nos expectat desideremus eam quanto possumus desiderio The whole Court of heauen waites for vs let vs long for that blessed society with a hearty affection The Saints looke for our comming desiring to haue the number of the elect fulfilled the Angels blush when they see vs stumble grieue when vve fall clappe their vvings vvith ioy when vve goe cheerefully forward our Sauiour Christ stands on the battlements of heauen and with the hand of helpe and comfort wafteth vs to him When a noble Souldier in a forraine Land hath atchieued braue designes wonne honourable victories subdued dangerous aduersaries and with worthy Chiualry hath renowned his King and Country home he comes the King sends for him to Court and there in open audience of his Noble Courtiers giues him words of grace commendeth and vvhich is rarely more rewardeth his Valour heapes dignities preferments and places of honour on him So shall Christ at the last day to all those Souldiers that haue valiantly combated and conquered his enemies in the sight of heauen and earth audience of men and Angels giue victorious wreathes crownes and garlands long white robes to witnesse their innocency and Palmes in their hands to expresse their victory and finally he shall giue them a glorious kingdome
shall manumit and set free our soules from the prison of the body there shal be a second meeting Many haue come from east from west farre remote in place and haue met with Abraham and Isaac and the holy Patriarches which liued long before them in this world in the kingdome of heauen So already in Mount Sion are the Spirits of iust men made perfect The purer part is then glorified and meets with the triumphant Church in blisse This meeting exceeds the former in comfort 1. In respect that our miseries are past our conflict is ended teares are wiped from our eyes The very release from calamitie is not a litle felicitie So Austin meditates of this place negatiuely Non est ibi mors non luctus c. There is no death nor dearth no pining nor repining no sorrow nor sadnes neither teares nor feares defect nor lothing No glory is had on earth without grudging emulation in this place there is no enuie Non erit aliqua inuidia disparis claritatis quum regnabit in omnibus vnitas charitatis None sâ—…all malice anothers glorious clearnesse when in all shall be one gratious dearenesse God shall then giue rest to our desires In our first meeting we haue Desiderium quietis in this second Quietem desiderij Here we haue a desire of rest there we shall haue rest of desire 2. In regard that we shall see God behold him whose glory filleth all in all This is great happinesse for in his presence is the fullnesse of ioy at his right hand are pleasures for euer We shall not only meete with the spirits of iust men made perfect but also with him that made them iust and perfect Iesus the mediatour of the new couenant euen God himselfe 3 Our last meeting which is called the Generall assembly and Church of the first borne written in heauen is the great meeting at the end of the world When our re-vnited bodies soules shall possesse perfect glory and raigne with our Sauiour for euer When as no mountayne or rocke shall shelter the wicked from doome terrour so no corruption detayne one bone or dust of vs from glory We shal be caught vp together in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall we be euer with the Lord. Who We. There is a time when the elect shall meete in one vniuersalitie Though now weare scattered all ouer the broad face of the earth dispersed and distressed yet we shall meet There is now a Communion of Saints 1. As of all the members with the Head all haue interest in Christ. For he is not a garden flower priuate to few but the Rose of Sharon and the Lillie of the valleys common to the reach of all faythfull hands So Iude calls this our common saluation 2. So of one member with another euen of the Church triumphant with this militant They sing Hosanna's for vs we Halleluia's for them they pray to God for vs we prayse God for them For the excellent graces they had on earth and for their present glory in heauen We meete now in our affections to solace one another and serue our God there is a mutuall sympathie betweene the parts If one member suffer all suffer with it But this meeting shal be voyd of passion and therfore needlesse of compassion though loue shall remaine for euer This Instruction is full of comfort We part here with our parents children kinred friends death breakes off our societie yet there shall be a day of meeting Comfort one another with these wordes Hast thou lost a wife brother child you shall one day meete though not with a carnall distinction of sexe or corrupt relation which earth afforded No man carries earth to heauen with him the same body but transfigured purified glorified There shall be loue hereafter not the offals of it A wife shall be knowne not as a wife there is no marriage but the Lambes Thou shalt reioyce in thy glorified brother not as thy brother according to the flesh but as glorified It is enough that this meeting shall affoord more ioy then we haue knowledge to expresse This giues thee consolation dying with griefe thou leauest those thou dearely louest Yet first thou art going to one whose loue is greater then Ionathans that gaue his life to redeeme thee And well pondering the matter thou art content to forsake all to desire a dissolution that thou mayest be with Christ. Yet this is not all thou shalt againe meet those whom thou now departest from and that with greater ioy then thou hast left in present sorow This comforts vs all if it be a pleasure for friends to meet on earth where Satan is still scattering his troubles of dissention what is it to meete in heauen where our peace is free from distraction from destruction where if there be any memorie of past things meminisse iunabit it shall rather delight vs to thinke of the miseries gone and without feare of returning It is some delight to the merchant to sitte by a quiet fire and discourse the escaped perills of wrackes and stormes Remoue then your eyes from this earth whether you be rich for whom it is more hard or poore for whom it is easier and know it is better liuing in heauen together then on earth together So then run your race that in the end you may meet with this blessed societie the Congregation of Saints in glory We yea All we In this world we must neuer looke to see an vniuersall Church but at that generall day we shall All meete In heauen there are none but good in hell none but bad on earth both good and bad mingled together I confesse that the Church militant is the Suburbes of heauen yea called the Kingdome of heauen because the King of heauen gouernes it by his celestiall lawes but still it is but heauen vpon earth In Gods floore there is chaffe mixed with the wheat in his field cockle with corne in his net rubbish with fish in his house vessells of wrath with those of honour The Church is like the moone somtimes increasing somtimes decreasing but when it is at the full not without some spottes Now this mixture of the vngodly is suffred for two causes either that themselues may be conuerted or that others by them may be excercised Omnis malus aut ideo viuit vt corrigatur aut ideo vt per illum bonus excerceatur 1. For their owne emendation that they may be conuerted to embrace that good which they haue hated So Saul a persecutor becomes Paul a professor Mary Magdalen turpissima meretrix fit sanctissima mulier a putrified sinner a purified Saint Zacheus that had made many rich men poore will now make many poore men rich when he had payed euery man his owne and that now he iudged their owne which he had fraudulently got from them Behold halfe my goods
that herafter we may meete in glory I am a companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts Death may breake off for a while this gratious meeting but our glorious second meeting shall triumph ouer death it shall be Generall it shall be eternall Wherin In the vnitie A perfect vnitie is not to be expected in this life it is enough to enioy it in heauen Indeed the Church is euer but one There are threescore Queenes and fourescore concubines and virgins without number My doue my vndefiled is but one shee is the onely one of her mother Though a kingdome haue in it many shires more Citties and innumerable Townes yet is it selfe but one because one King gouernes it by one law So the Church though vniuersally dispersed is one kingdome because it is ruled by one Christ and professeth one faith There is one bodie one spirit one Lord one faith So much Vnitie now But that vnitie which is on earth may be offended in regard of the partes subiectuall to it What familie hath not complained of distraction What fraternitie not of dissention What man hath euer beene at one with himselfe There must be diuisions sayth Paul are and must be by a kind of necessitie But there is a twofolde necessitie One absolute and simple God must be iust a necessitie of infallibilitie The other exhypothesi or of consequence as this there must be heresies Satan will be an aduersarie man will be proued a necessitie vpon presupposition of Satans malice mans wickednesse But woe vnto them by whom offences come we know not the hurt we bring by our diuisions Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes. Zach. 8. Loue the truth and peace Some loue peace well but they care not for truth These are secure worldlings let them alone in their sinnes and you would not wish quieter men Pacem quaerunt Pietatem fugiunt they seeke peace but they flie righteousnesse as if they would disvnite those things which God hath ioyned together righteousnesse and peace Righteousnesse and peace shall kisse each other Others loue truth well but not peace Let them fabricke a Church out of their own braines or rather a discipline to manage it and they will keepe within verges of the maine truth They cannot be content to haue good milke but they must chuse their spoone to eate it with They are wanton children and worthy the rod of correction let them be whipt onely discipline may mend them I would our eyes could see what hurt the breach of vnitie doth vs. Scilurus his arrowes taken singly out of the sheafe are broken with the least finger the whole vnseuered bundle feares no stresse We haue made our selues weaker by dispersing our forces Euen the encouraged Atheist walkes to Church in the lane of our diuisions and is still no lesse an Atheist then the deuill was a deuill when he stood among the sonnes of God It is the nature of our controuersies to fight peremptorily at both ends whiles truth and pietie is left in the middle and neglected Whiles men haue contended about the body of Religion some haue thought it quite dead as no doubt Moses body was when the Archangell disputed with the Deuill about it As one sayd of his Donatists Betwixt our Licet and your Non licet many soules stagger and excuse their irresolution by our want of peace Indeed this is euentually one good effect of many controuerted poynts the way is cleansed for others though not for themselues Theeues falling out true men come by their goods Two flints beaten together sparkles out fire and by the wrastling of two poisons the health is preserued So are some vnited to the truth by these diuisions of peace But others are more vnsetled they condemne all for the dissension of some our comfort is God doth not so The diuisions of a few and that about the huske of Religion Ceremonie cannot redound to the condemnation of a whole Church In Gods iudgement it shall not we must care little if in theirs Doe not we know that Satan by his good will would allowe vs neither Truth nor Peace but if we must haue one will he not labour to detaine the other If he can keepe vs from Truth he cares not much to allow vs peace The wicked haue securitie the deuill lets them alone What fowler sets his ginnes for tame birds that will come gently to his hand But if we embrace the truth then haue at our peace Shall the Prince of darknesse bee quiet when his Captiues breake loose from him The good are soonest tempted Inuidia fertur in magnos It was the king of Syria his command to his 32. captaines Fight neither with small nor great saue only with the King of Israell It is the Deuils charge to his souldiers fight against none but the godly that fight against mee Dauid was safe among his sheepe and Moses leading a priuate life No man layes snares for his owne birds nor the Deuil for such as are taken captiue by him at his will But pax conscientiae is bellum Satanae and this iust warre is better then an vniust peace Let all this giue condemnation to peace-haters and commendation to peace-louers There are some quite gone not diuerse but aduerse to vs with these warre and no peace for they haue no peace with Christ. Sinewes cut in sunder can neuer be knitte nor can there be Integralis vnitas in solutione continui They will be gone let them goe I would we were as well ridde of all those whose soules hate vnitie The Christians of of the first age were nether Albinians nor Nigrians the report of faction was scarce heard Athanasius on whose shoulder our mother the Church leaned in her sharpest persecution to take her rest reioyced that though the aduersary hate was violent the loue of brethren was sound Peter was commanded to put vp his sword euen when Christ was at his elbow to heale the greatest wound he could make why doe we smite and hurt that haue not such meanes of cure King Richard the holy warriour hauing taken a Bishop in coate-armour in the field was requested by the Pope calling him his Sonne to release him The King sent not him but his coate to the Pope and asked him An haec esset Filij sui tunica whether this was his sonnes coate alluding to the coate of Ioseph which his brethren brought to their Father The ashamed Pope answers Nec his Sonnes vndertakes wit conscience prepares scrupâ—… and Peace suffers And now 〈◊〉 â—…hey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnum but 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ake their malice on but to dissolue and vndoe the vnited strength of all â—…her the sceâ—…r must stoope to the miter or no peace Betweene the rootes of Iudah and Leui by Moses law the separations and distances were 〈◊〉 â—…de that neither need to crosse anothers walke nor 〈◊〉 â—…clipse anothers dignitie The rod of Moseâ—… was
not see corruption How much lesse when he is dead recouer him to life againe Here was the finger of God Now to proceede in order with the myracles 1. Myracle The Vaile of the Temple c. This Vaile was the partition betwixt the Sanctum Sanctorum the Sanctum as it might be the vpper part of the Quire Into this went the high Priest alone once euerie yeare not without bloud which he offred for himselfe and for the errours of the people By the renting this Vaile were many things presignified 1. This serues for a confirmation of that Christ spoke on the Crosse It is finished The renting of the Vaile doth actually eccho to his wordes and indeede fulfils them Here is an end put to all the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the law In the new Testament one onely reall and royall Sacrifice Christ crucified This was that obiect whereto all those legall rites looked to them all there is now giuen a Consuâ—…tum est So that now Coremonia mortua Lex mortifera Ceremonies are dead and the typicall law deadly Nouum Testamentum latet in veteri Vetus patet in nouo The Gospell lay hidden vnder the law the law is compleat in the Gospell Now after that you haue knowne God in his Gospell how turne you againe to the weake and beggarly Elements whereunto you desire againe to be in bondage Gods seruice is now simple and plaine in spirit and truth Christ is sayd to be the end of the law the morrall law he kept himselfe syncerely and satisfied for vs soundly The Ceremoniall was referred to him performed of him fulfilled in him extinguished by him They had all Vigâ—… a Christo relationem ad Christum consummationem in Christo. Hee gaue them their beginning hee hath also giuen them their end The Vaile rent to witnesse the cancelling of that rituall obligation Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs nailing it to his Crosse. That moment was their last gaspe they expired with Christ. But dâ—…d all Ceremonies then vtterly die No some were typicall prefiguring Christ those are dead Some are for decencie and order adminicula deuotionis these are not dead The law of Iewish ceremonies is abolished but some must be retained Christ came not to dissolue order Men consist of bodies as well as soules and God must bee serued with both now bodies cannot serue God without externall rites the Spouse of Christ cannot bee without her borders and laces On necessitie there must be some outward obseruances but thus qualified That they be for number few for signification plaine for obseruation simple farre from ostentation farther from superstition Christ his Spouse must not flaunt it like an harlot but be soberly attired like a graue matron Ceremoniae quasi care moniae wants a carendo as it were ordained to supply the defects of our nature Because we could not serue God in that simplicitie we ought therefore wee haue these helpes Hence it is that the nearer to perfection the fewer ceremonies as it were the more light the lesse shadow In the law were abundant ceremonies in the Gospell far fewer in heauen none at all This condemnes the Church of Rome for a glorious Harlot because shee loads her selfe with such a heape of gawdy ceremonies and their masse for meere Idolatry which they beleeue to bee a reall propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ made by the Priestes for the sinnes of quicke and dead This is to build vp the vaile here rent in pieces and to accuse Christ of falshood in his Consummatum est Is an end put to them and shall they still retaine them yea obtrude them as principall partes of Gods seruice yea worship them yea bind mens consciences to them on paine of damnation Therefore they are liable to Augustines censure who cals such Impios sepulturae violâ—…tores Diggers into the graues of the dead for putrified and rotten reliques Yea to the Iudgement of God who sayth If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though liuing in the world are ye subiect to Ordinances after the commaundements and doctrines of men They will say Dicit Papa sanxit Concilium thus sayth the Pope thus decrees the Councell but wee Dixit Dominus non Donatus wee heare what the Lord sayes in his Scripture concerning the law of ceremonies 2. The second thing signified by the renting the vaile is this The holy of holyes figured the third heauen where GOD sheweth himselfe in glory and maiestie to his Saints Salomons Temple hadde in it three Courts an vtter court whereinto the people were admitted an inner Court wherein onely the Priests and Leuites entred an inmost of all whereinto the high Priest alone and that but once a yeare and this was called Sanctum Sanctorum So there is a threefolde Heauen Coelum elementarium Stellatum Gloriosum First the Elementarie heauen wherein are cloudes windes raine dew and the birds are called the birds of heauen that is of this elementarie heauen The second is the Starrey heauen So the Sunne is sayd to goe from the end of the heauen and his circuite vnto the ends of it The last is the Glorious heauen the habitation of God himselfe and this was signified by the Holy of holyes The vaile signified the flesh of Christ the renting of the vaile the crucifying of Christ by this is made an entrance into that Sanctum Sanctorum the heauen of glory So expressely Heb. 10. Hauing therefore boldnesse to enter into the Holyest by the bloud of Iesus By a new and liuing way which he hath consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say His Flesh. Heauen gate was shut vp by our sinnes none but our highest and holyest Priest had passage there but hee rent the vaile suffred his bodie to be torne by death that he might giue vs an entrance Paul speaking of the legall vse of that Holyest place in the Temple sayth thus Heb. 9. The holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing But now by Christ his renting the vaile Patet alti ianua Coeli the way of saluation is opened Let this reach forth to vs two comforts 1. There is no feare to be shut out of heauen if thou haue faith in Christ for to thee is the vaile rent the separation is abolished Christ is crucified For So sayth Saint Peter an entrance shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Indeede to vnbeleeuers and hypocrites to worldly wolues and luxurious goates the vaile is vp still How should they enter the Sanctum sanctorum that neuer approched the Sanctum How shall they see the glory of God who would neuer entertaine the grace of God No to these there are inaccessible barres and Cherubims with flaming swords to forbidde their entrance But to
Now therefore Put on as the elect of God holy and beloued bowels of mercies kindnes humblenes of minde c. As you claime any portion in those gracious blessings Election Sanctification and the loue of God as you would haue the sweet testimonie of the Spirit that you are sealed vp to the day of Redemption Put on mercie kindnes meeknes long suffering let them be as robes to couer you all ouer Yea bowels of mercies let them be as tender and inward to you as your most vitall parts Lay forbearance and forgiuenes as deare friends in your bosomes Depart from iniquitie for the high way of the vpright is to depart from euill and he that keepth his way preserueth his soule And above all these things put on Charitie which is the bond of perfectnesse Walke in loue And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercie and vppon the Israell of God Amen LOVES COPIE OR The best Precedent of Charitie EPHE 5. 2. As Christ loued vs. WE distinguished the whole verse into a Canon and a Crucifixe The Canon consisted of a Precept and a Precedent Loue is the Subiect and it is both commanded and commended Commanded in the Charge which you haue heard Commended in the Example which you shall heare I determined my speach with the Precept Walke in loue The Precedent or Patterne remaines to be propounded and expounded As Christ loued vs. Every word is emphaticall and there be foure signifying foure seuerall natures Here 1 As is a word of 1 Qualitie 2 Christ 2 Maiestie 3 Loued 3 Mercie 4 Vs 4 Miserie Two of these words be Vincula or Media that ioyne and vnite other things Sicut and Dilexit As and Loued As directs our loue to God and Man by the exemplified rule of Christ louing vs. Walke in loue to others As Christ loued vs. Loued is that blessed reconciling nature whereby Gods good Greatnes descends to our bad basenesse and the Iust giues to the vniust Saluation For what other nature but Mercie could reconcile so high Maiestie and so low Miserie As According to Zanchius his obseruation on this place is a note of Qualitie not Equalitie of Similitude not of Comparison We must loue others As Christ loued vs As for the manner not for the measure His loue was strong as Death for to the death hee loued vs. It was a bright cleare fire many maters could not quench it yea water and bloud could not put it out God so loued the World so freely so fatherly so fully as no tongue can tell no heart thinke The loue of Christ passeth knowledge To thinke of equalling this loue would be an impossible presumption Our loue is inconstant weake a mingled and often a mangled loue mingled with selfe loue and mangled with the wounding affections of the world Our loue is faine his strong ours ficle his constant ours limited his infinite Yet wee must follow him so fast as we can and so farre as wee may Walking in loue as he loued vs. His Walking in loue was strange and admirable hee tooke large steps from heauen to earth and from earth to heauen As Bernard on that speech of the Church concerning her Beloued Behold hee commeth leaping vpon the mountaines skipping vpon the hils He leaps from heauen to the Virgins wombe from the wombe to a manger from the manger to Egypt from Egypt to Iudah from thence to the Temple from the Temple vp to the Crosse from the Crosse downe to the graue from the graue vp to the earth and from the earth vp to the highest glory And he shall yet haue another leap from the right hand of his Father to iudge quicke and dead These were great iumpes large paces of loue When he made but one stride from the clouds to the cradle and another from the Cradle to the crosse and a third from the crosse to the crowne To come from the bosome of his immortall father to the wombe of his mortall mother was a great step From the lowest hell or depth of his humiliation to the highest heauen or top of his exaltation was a large pace We cannot take such large steps nor make such strides These leaps are beyond our agilitie our abilitie Yet we must follow him in loue stepping so farre as we can and walking so fast as we may Follow we carefully and chearfully though non passibus aequis The Father that takes his yong son into the field with bowes shafts and bids him shoot after him doth not expect that the child should shoote so farre as he but so farre as he can Though we cannot reach Christs marke yet If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not Now this particle As is not barely similitudinary but hath a greater latitude and serues To Confine the Measure of our Imitation Define Matter Refine Manner 1. This Sicut Confines Our imitation and limits it to that circumference which the present rule or compasse giues it We may not follow Christ in all things but in this thing Loue As he loued vs. Our imitation hath a limitation that it may not exorbitantly start out of the circle There are speciall workes which God reserues to himselfe and wherein he did neuer commaund or commend mans following but rather strikes it downe as presumption His Power his Maiestie his Wisedome his Myracles cannot without a contumacious ambition be aymed at When Lucifer aspired to be like God in Maiestie he was throwne out of heauen When Adam contended to be like God in knowledge he was cast out of Paradise When Nebuchadnezzar arrogated to be like God in Power he was expulsed his kingdome When Simon Magus mounted to be like God in working Miracles and to flie in the ayre he was hurld downe and broke his necke God must not be imitated in his Finger in his Arme in his Braine in his Face but in his Bowels Not in the Finger of his Myracles nor in the Arme of his Power nor in the Braine of his Wisedome nor in the Face of his Maiestie but in the Bowels of his Mercy Be ye mercifull as your heauenly Father is mercifull And sayth Paul Put on the Bowels of mercy as Christ put them on Forbeare forgiue Walke in Loue As hee loued vs. Neither Angell nor Man did euer or shall euer offend in coueting to be like God in Loue Grace Mercy Goodnes So that this Sicut excludes his Myracles and directs vs to his Morralls Walke in Loue 〈◊〉 c. 2. This Sicut Defines What our Loue should be As Christ was to vs. Now his loue to vs had an infinite extention and is past the skill of men or Angels to describe Yet because this is the perfect Copy of our imitation and the infallible Rule whereby we must square our Charitie I must according to my shallow power wade a litle
in the heart but howsoeuer shield thy head loose not thy hope of saluation thy faith in Iesus Christ. Homo qui habet se habet totum inse said the Philosopher He that hath himselfe hath all in himselfe But ille habet se qui habet Christum ille habet Christum qui habet fidem He hath himselfe that hath Christ and he hath Christ that hath faith Whatsoeuer you loose loose not this though you loose your loues though you loose your liues keepe the faith I will trust in thee though thou kill me saith Iob. I haue kept the faith saith Paul though I beare in my bodie the markes of the Lord Iesus If insatiate death be let alone to cutte vs into pieces with the sword to grind vs into the mawes of beastes to burne vs in the fire to ashes yet so long as our head Christ is safe he hath the Serpents attractiue power to draw vs to him Father I will that they whom thou hast giuen me be with me where I am The more we are cut off the more we are vnited death whiles it striues to take vs from him sends vs to him Keepe faith in the Head With what mind soeuer Seneca wrote it I know to good vse I may speake it Malo mihi successum deesse quam-fidem I rather want successe then faith Fidem qui perdidit nil habet vltra quod perdat He that hath lost his faith hath nothing els to loose But it is the Lord that preserues the head O God the strength of my saluation thou hast couered my â—…ead in the day of battell 2. The next Policie in Serpents is to stop their â—…ares against the noyse of the charmers This is one of the similitudes which the Psalmist giues betweene the wicked and Serpents Their poison is like the poison of a Serpent they are like the deafe adder that stoppeth hor â—…are Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers charming never so Wisely This charming as they write was invented in the Easterne countreyes where they were pesterd with abundance of serpents Which musicke the Serpent hearing wisely distrusting his owne strength thinkes it the surest course to stop his â—…ares This he doth by couching one â—…are close to the ground and covering the other with his voluminous tayle The incantations of this world are as often sung to vs as those charmes to the Serpents but we are not so wise as Serpents to avoyd them Sometimes a Siren sings vs the charmes of lust and thus a weake woman overcomes him that overcame the strong Lyon Lenam non potuit potuit superare Leaenam Quem fera non valuit vincere vicit hera Sayes the Epigrammatist He goeth after her straight way though her houseâ—… the way to hell going downe to the chambers of death Sometimes Satan comes to vs like a gold-finch and whistles vs a note of vsurie to the tune of ten in the hundred we are caught presently and fall a dancing after his pipe Sometimes like Alecto he charmes vs a Madrigall of revenge for private wrongs instantly we are caught with malice destruction sits in our lookes Not seldome hee comes to a man with a drunken caroll lay thy peny to mine and we will to the wine he is taken suddenly he runs to it though he reeles from it He sings the slothfull a Dormi securè and hee will sleepe though his damnation sleepeth not Yea there are not wanting that let him sing a song of blasphemie they will sweare with him Let him begin to raile they will libell with him Let his incantation bee treason and they will answere him in gunpowder Yea let him charme with a Charme a witlesse senceles sorcerie and if a tooth akes or a hog grones they will admit it admire it Of such follie the very serpents shall condemne vs. But as open â—…ar'd as men are to these incantations of the Deuill and sinne let the musicall bells of Aaron be rung the sweet songs of Sion sung they will not listen they will not be charmed with all our cunning So that wee shall be faint to send them to the Iudgment seate of God with this scrole on their forheads Noluerunt incantari Lord wee haue done our best but this people would not be charmed 3. Their third Policie They flie mens societie as knowne enemies and rather chuse a wildernes seeking peace among bryers and thornes And may they not herein teach vs with Moses rather to chuse affliction in a wildernes with the people of God then to enioy the pleasure of sin for a season Much hath bin and may be said to lessen mens dotage to the world and yet one word I must adde Non quia vos nostra sperem prece posse moveri Did euer any of you know what the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost is whiles that comfort and iubilation dwelt in your heart I aske you how the world stood in your sight Stood it not like a deformed witch deuils sucking on her breasts a shoale of vgly sinnes sitting like screechowles on her head bloud and massacres besmearing her face lies blasphemies periuries waiting at her backe extortion and oppression hanging on her armes wickednes and wretchednesse filling both her hands the cryes grones and imprecations of widowes and orphans sounding in her eares heauen thundring vengance on her head and the enlarged gates of the infernall pitte yawning to entertaine her Is this your Paramour O ye worldlings Is this the beautie you hazard a soule to get O munde immunde euill fauoured world that thou shouldst haue so many louers Ecceruinosus est mundus siâ—… amatur quidsi perfectus esset Quid forâ—…osus faceret quùm deformis sic adoratur If the world beeing ruinous so pleaseth men what would it doe if it were sound and perfect If it were faire and beauteous how would wee dote on it that thus loue it deformed But how rare a man is hee Qui nihil habet commune cum seculo that hath no communion with this world That retires himselfe like the Serpent and doth not intricate his mind in these worldly snares who does not watch with enuie nor trauell with auarice nor clime with ambition nor sleepe with lust vnder his pillow But for all this Vincet amor mundi money and wealth must be had though men refuse no way on the left hand to get it We may charge them Nummos propter Deum expendere to lay out their wealth for Gods sake but they will Deum propter nummos colere worship God for their wealths sake We say let the world waite vpon religion they say let religion waite vpon the world You talke of heauen a kingdome but Tutius hâ—… câ—…lum quod brâ—…uis â—…ca tenet That heauen is surest thinke they that lies in their coffers As those two Gyants bound Mars in chaines and then sacrificed to him so men first coffer vp their
God the Father Come ye blessed of my Father inherite ye the kingdome 2. Ours purchased for vs by God the Son We haue boldnes to enter into the Holyest by the bloud of Iesus 3. Ours sealed to vs by God the holy Ghost The Spirit of God seales vs vp to the day of redemption The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Ours thus though we are not yet fully entred into it Habemus ius ad rem nondum in re Wee are heires to it though now we be but wards Our minoritie bids binds vs to be as seruants The heire as long as he is a child differs nothing from a seruant though he be Lord of all When we come to full yeares a perfect growth in godlynes in mensuram staturae adulti Christs to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ we shall haue a plenary possession It is ours already not in re but in spe as Aug. Our common Law distinguisheth betweene two maner of freeholds A freehold in deede when a man hath made his entry vpon lands and is thereof really seised A freehold in law when a man hath right to possessions but hath not made his actuall entry So is this Countrey ours ours Tenore iuris though not yet iure tenoris ours in the inheritance of the possession though not in the possession of the inheritance To this countrey our countrey let vs trauell and that we may do it the better 5. The last circumstance shewes vs how Another way we must change the whole course of our inordinate conuersation and walke another way euen the Kings high-way to Paradise Immutatio viâ—… emendatio vitae The changing of the way is the amending of our life Repentance must teach vs to tread a new path To man truely penitent Optimus portus est mutatio consiâ—…y The best hauen is the change of his life not to turne againe by the same way that he came Thus must we renounce our owne wils old wayes and being made new creatures take new paths So Gregory o We departed from our countrey by pride disobedience doting on visible delights and pleasing the lusts of the flesh we must therefore returne by humiluâ—…e obedience contemning the world and condemning the flesh Quia Paradisi gaudijs per delectationem recessimus ad hâ—…c per poenitentiam tanquà m per nouam viam reuocaâ—…ur We that departed from Paradise by sinne must returne thether by a new way Repentance Hast thou walked in lust take another way by puritie and chastitie Didst thou trauell with pride there is another way to heauen humilitie Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Wert thou giuen to auarice there is a new way to heauen by charitie Ye haue fed me hungry c. therefore come ye blessed Didst thou trudge with contention and molesting thy neighbours with sutes this is the way to Westminster hall there is another way to heauen Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God Didst thou trade in vsurie this is the way to the Exchange thou must exchange this way if thou wilt come to glory Hast thou forredged with oppression Thou must with Zaccheus seeke out another way If I haue taken any thing from any man by false dealing I restore him fourefold Let the drunken epicure malicious repiner seditious incendiary dissembling hypocrite vniust oppressor leaue their wretched pathes seeke another way to happines God giue vs all grace to find this way of Repentance that wee may come at last to our owne Countrey peace and rest with Iesus Christ. Amen SEMPER IDEM OR The Immutable mercie Of Iesus Christ. HEBR. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for euer BY the name of Iehouah was God knowne to Israel from the time of the first mission of Moses to them and their manumission out of Egypt and not before For sayth God to Moses I appeared vnto Abraham and vnto Isaac and vnto Iacob by the Name of God Almightie but by my Name IEHOVAH was I not knowne to them This I Am is an eternall word comprehending three times that was that is and is to come Now to testifie the equalitie of the Sonne to the Father the Scripture giues the same Eternitie to Iesus that it doth to Iehouah He is called Alpha and Omega Primus nouissimus the First and the Last which is which was and which is to come Reuel 1. and here the same yesterday and to day and for euer Therefore he was not onely Christus Dei the Annointed of God but Christus Deus God himselfe Annointed Seeing that Eternitie which hath neither beginning nor ending is only peculiar and proper to God The words may be distinguished into a Center CircuÌ„ference Mediate Line referring the one to the other The immoueable Center is Iesus Christ. The Circumference that runs round about him here is Eternitie Yesterday to day for euer The Mediate line referring them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same Iesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for euer The Center is Iesus Christ. Iesus was his proper Name Christ his appellatiue Iesus a name of his nature Christ of his Office and dignitie as Diuines speake Iesus a Name of all sweetnes Mel in ora Melos in aâ—…re iubilus in corde A reconciler a Redeemer a Sauiour When the conscience wrastles with Law Sin Death nothing but horror and despaire without Iesus He is the way the Truth and the Life without him Error Meâ—…dacium Mors. Si scribas non placet nisi legam ibi Iesum saith Bernard If thou writest to me thy letter doth not please me vnles I read there Iesus If thou conferrest thy discourse is not sweet without the name of Iesus The blessed restorer of all of more then all that Adam lost for we haue gotten more by his regenerating grace then we lost by Adams degenerating Sinne. Christ is the Name of his Office being appointed and annointed of God a King a Priest a Prophet This Iesus Christ is our Sauiour of whose names I forbeare further discourse being vnable though I had the tongue of Angels to speake ought worthy â—…anto Nomine Tanto Numine All that can be said is but a litle but I must say but a litle in all But of all names giuen to our Redeemer still Iesus is the sweetest Oâ—…er sayth Bern. are names of Maiestie Iesus is a name of mercie The Word of God the Sonne of God the Christ of GOD are titles of Glory Iesus a Sauiour is a title of grace mercie redemption This Iesus Christ is the Center of this Text and not onely of this but of the whole Scripture The Summe of Diuinitie is the Scripture the Summe of the Scripture is the Gospell the Summe of the Gospell is Iesus Christ. In a word Nihil
euen to them that beleeue on his Name By one offering hee hath perfected for euer them that are sanctified This is sure comfort to vs though hee dyed almost 1600. yeares agoe his bloud is not yet dry his wounds are as fresh to doe vs good as they were to those Saints that beheld them bleeding on the Crosse. The vertue of his merits is not abated though many thousand hands of Faith haue taken large portions out of his treasurie The riuer of his Grace which makes glad the citie of God runnes ouer the bankes though infinite soules haue drunke heartie draughts and satisfied their thirst But because we cannot apprehend this for our selues of our selues therefore he hath promised to send vs the Spirit of truth who will dwell with vs and applie this to vs. for euer Thus you haue seene the first Triplicitie how he is the Same Obiectiuely in his Word Now he is Subiunctiuely in his Power the Same and that Yesterday for he made the world To day for he gouerns the world For euer for he shall iudge the world Yesterday in the Creation All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made By him were all things created that are in heauen and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him All things euen the great and faire booke of the world of three so large leaues Coelum Solum Salum Heauen Earth and Sea The Prophet cals him the Everlasting Father Daniel Auntient of dayes Salomon sayes that the Lord possessed him in the beginning of his way before his workes of old So himselfe told the vnbeleeuing Iewes Before Abraham was I am We owe then our selues to Christ for our creation but how much more for our redemption Si totum me debeo pro ine facto quid addam iam pro me refecto In primo opere me mihi dedit in secundo se mihi dedit If I owe him my whole selfe for making me what haue I left to pay him for redeeming me In the first worke he gaue my selfe to me in the second he gaue himselfe to me By a double right we owe him our selues we are worthy of a double punishment if we giue him not his owne To day in the Gouerning Hee vpholdeth all things by the word of his power Hee is Paterfamilias and disposeth all thinges in this vniuerse with greater care and pâ—…ence then any house-holder can menage the buâ—…nesse of his priuate familie Hee leaues it not as the Carpenter hauing built the frame of a house to others to perfect it but lookes to it himselfe His Creation and Prouidence is like the Mother and the Nurse the one produceth the other preserueth His creation was a short prouidence his prouidence a perpetuall creation The one sets vp the frame of the house the other keepes it in reparation Neither is this a disparagement to the Maiestie of God as the vaine Epicures imagined curare minima to regard the least things but rather an honour curare infinita to regard all things Neither doth this extend onely to naturall things chained together by a regular order of succession but euen to casuall and contingent things Oftentimes cùm aliud volumus aliud agimus the euent crosseth our purpose Which must content vs though it fall out otherwise then we purposed because God purposed as it is falne out It is enough that the thing attaine the owne end though it misse ours that Gods will be done though ours be crossed But let me say Hath God care of foâ—…les and flowers and will he not care for you his owne Image Yea let me goe further Hath God care of the wicked Doth he powre downe the happie influences of heauen on the vniust mans ground And shall the faithfull want his blessing Doth hee prouide for the Sonnes of Beliall and shall his owne children lacke He may giue meate and rayment to the rest but his bountie to Beniamin shall exceed If Mâ—…b his Wash-pot tast of his benefites then Iudah the signet on his finger cannot bee forgotten The King gouernes all the Subiects in his Dominions but his seruants that waite in his Court partake of his most Princely fauours God heales the sores of the very wicked but if it be told him Lord hee whom thou louest is sicke 〈◊〉 enough hee shall bee healed The wicked may hâ—…â—…utward blessings without inward and that is Esau's pottage without his Birth-right but the elect haue inward blessings though they want outward and that is Iacobs inheritance without his pottage For euer because he shall iudge the world GOD hath appoynted a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that Mâ—…n whom he hath ordained In the day that God shall iudge the secrets of mâ—…n by Iesus Christ. Let the wicked flatter themselues that all is but talke of any comming to Iudgement non aliud videre patres aliudve nâ—… pâ—…tes aspicâ—…nt all is but terriculamenta nutricum meere scar-babes Scribarâ—…m peâ—… mendaces they haue written lies there is no such matter But when they shall see that Lambe whom they haue pearced and scorned they shall cry to the mountaines and rockes Fall vpon vs and couer vs. Now they flatter themselues with his death mortuus est hee is dead and gone and Mortuum Caesarem quis â—…etuit Who feares euen a Caesar when he is dead But he that was dead liueth behold I am aliue for euermore Amen Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and for euer Quâ—…sitor scâ—…erum veniet vindexque reorum Here is matter of infallible comfort to vs. Lift vp your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Here wee are imprisoned martyred tortured but when that great Assise and generall goale-deliuery comes Mâ—…s non â—…rit vltra there shall be no more death nor sorrow but all teares shall be wiped from our eyes For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you who are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall be reuealed from heauen with his mightie Angels We shall then find him the Sâ—… the same Lambe that bought vs shall giue vs a venitâ—… beati Coâ—…e ye blessed receiue your kingdome Surely I come quickly Aâ—…on Euen so Come Lord Iesus Effectually in his Grace and Mercie so he is the Same Yesterday to our fathers To day to our selues For euer to our children Yesterday to our Fathers All our Fathers whose soules are now in heauen those Spirits of iust men made perfect Hebr. 12. were as the next words intimate saued by Iesus the mediatour of the new Couenant and by the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abell Whether they liued vnder Nature or vnder the Law Christ was their expectation and
sayth Christ my workes beare witnesse of me We may thus vnderstand God ex operibus his actions preach his will 3. God speakes by his Sonne Hebr. 1. God who at sundry times and in diuers manners spake in tâ—…me past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last daves spoken vnto vs by his Sonne Hee is therefore called the Word Ioh. 1 The sacred Scriptures and sayings of the Prophets giuen by the inspiration of God for no prophecie is of private interpretation it came not by the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost are called Verbum Domini the word of the Lord. But to distinguish God the Sonne from those words he is after an eminent sort called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word or That excellent word As also hee is called not a light but That light not a lambe but â—…hat lambe Not a vocall word formed by the tongue beating the aire for hee was before eyther sound or aire But the mentall and substantiall word of his Father but Ipse Paterâ—… 〈◊〉 effigies lumenque a lumine vero According to that of Paul The brightnesse of his glory and expresse image of his person 4. GOD speakes by his Scriptures Whatsoever things were writen aforetime are written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Scripta sunt they are written Things that go onely by take or tradition meete with such variations augmentations abbreuiations corruptions false glosses that as in a Lawyers pleading Truth is lost in the Quaere for her Related thinges wee are long in getting quicke in forgetting Therefore God commanded his law should be written Litera scripta manet Thus God doth effectually speake to vs. Many good wholesome instructions haue drop'd from humane pennes to lesson and direct man in goodnesse But there is no promise giuen to any word to conuert the soule but to Gods word Without this Antiquitie is noueltie Noueltie subtletie Subtletie death Theologia Scholastica multis modis sophistica Schoole Diuinitie is little better then meere Sophistrie Plus argutiarum quam doctrine plus doctrina quà m vsus It hath more quicknesse then soundnesse more fauce then meate more difficultie then doctrine more doctrine then vse This Scripture is the Perfect and Absolute rule Bellarmine acknowledgeth two thinges requireable in a Perfect Rule Certaintie and Evidence If it bee not certaine it is no Rule if it bee not euident it is no rule to vs. Onely the Scripture is both in truth and euidence a perfect rule Other writings may haue canonicall veritie the Scripture onely hath canonicall authoritie Others like oile may make cheerefull mans countenance but this like Bread strengthens his heart This is the absolute Rule And as many as walke according to this Rule peace be on them and mercie and vppon the Israel of God O that wee had hearts to blesse GOD for this mercie that the Scriptures are among vs and that not sealed vp vnder an vnknowne tongue The time was when a deuout Father was glad of a piece of the new Testament in English when he tooke his little Sonne into a corner and with ioy of soule heard him reade a chapter so that euen Children became Fathers to their Fathers and begate them to CHRIST Now as if the commonnesse had abated the worth our Bibles lie dusty in the windowes it is all if a Sunday-handling quite them from perpetuall obliuion Few can read fewer do reade fewest of all read as they should God of his infinite mercie lay not to our charge this neglect 5. GOD speakes by his Ministers expounding and opening to vs those Scriptures These are Legati a latere dispencers of the mysteries of heauen Ambassadors for CHRIST as if God did beseech you through vs so wee pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God This voice is continually sounding in our Churches beating vpon our eares I would it could pierce our consciences and that our liues would eccho to it in an answerable obedience How great should be our thankfullnesse God hath delt with vs as hee did with Eliah The Lord passed by and a great strong wind rent the mountaines and brake in pieces the rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind After the wind came an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake After the earthquake a fire but the Lord was not in the fire And after the fire a still voyce and the Lord came with that voyce After the same manner hath God done to this Land In the time of K. Henry 8. there came a great and mightie Wind that rent downe Churches ouerthrew Altarages impropriated from Ministers their liuings that made Lay-men substantiall Parsons and Clergie men their vicar-shadowes It blew away the rights of Leui into the lappe of Issachar a violent wind but God was not in that wind In the dayes of King Edward the sixt there came a terrible Earthquake hideous vapours of Treasons and conspiracies rumbling from Rome to shake the foundations of that Church which had now left off louing the Whore and turned Antichrist quite out of his saddle Excommunications of Prince and people execrations and curses in their tetricall formes with Bell Booke and Candle Indulgences Bulls Pardons promises of heauen to all traytors that would extâ—…rpate such a King and kingdome a Monstrous earthquake but GOD was not in the Earthquake In the dayes of Queene Mary came the Fire an vnmercifull fire such a one as was neuer before kindled in England and wee trust in Iesus Christ neuer shall be againe It raged against all that professed the Gospell of Christ made bonefires of silly women for not vnderstanding that their ineffable mysterie of Transubstantiation burnt the mother with the child Boner and Gardiner those hellish bellowes that set it on flaming A raging and insatiable fire but God was not in that fire In the dayes of Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie came the still voyce saluting vs with the songs of Sion and speaking the comfortable things of Iesus Christ and GOD came with his voyce This sweete and blessed voyce is still continued by our Gracious Soueraigne GOD long preserued him with it and it with him and vs all with them both Let vs not say of this blessing as Lot of Zoar Is it not a litle one nor bee weary of Manna with Israel lest GODS voyce grow dumbe vnto vs and to our woe wee heare it speake no more No rather let our hearts answere with Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruants heare If wee will not heare him say to our soules I am your saluation wee shall heare him say Depart from mee I know you not So sayth wisedome Because I haue called and yee refused I will therefore laugh at your calamitie and mocke when your feare commeth The gallant promiseth himselfe many yeares and in them all to reioyce
skip out of the way of righteousnes at euery dog that reproachfully barkes at it nor at euery Siren that temptingly would call it aside The Deuill with all his force of terror or error cannot seduce it Constancie it is euer trauelling though through many hindrances It hath a heauy load of flesh to burden it and make euery step tedious yet it goes Cares for family troubles of contentious neighbours frowning of great aduersaries malicious turbulencie of the world all offer to stay it but it goes on As if it had receiued the Apostles Commission Salute none of these Remora's by the way it resteth not till it see the saluation of God The Lord deliuers the feete from falling that it may walke before God in the light of the living 3 We must not returne backe to Herod Why not to Herod He was a fit type of the Deuill and they that are recouered and escaped from him should not fall backe into his clutches The Deuill is like Herod both for his subtletie and crueltie The Herods were all dissemblers all cruell There was Herod Ascalonita Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa all cruell in the butchering of Gods Saints Ascalonita necat pueros Antipa Iohannem Agrippa Iacobum mittitque in carcere Petrum Ascalonite makes an earnest shew of zeale to Christ but he desired not subijcerese Christ◅ sedsib◅ Christum not to become subiect to Christ but to make Christ the sub iect of his furie Antipas seemed to loue Iohn the Baptist but he suffers a dancing foote to kicke off his head The crueltie of the other Herod was monstrous He slew all those whom hee could suspect to issue from the line of Dauid all the Infants of Bethlem vnder two yeares old at one slaughter Hee slew his kinred his sister his wife his sonne Hee cut the throates of many noble Iewes whiles he lay on his death bed Yea made it in his will that so soone as euer the breath was out of his body all the sonnes of the nobler Iewes shut vp into a safe place should be instantly slaine to beare him company By this meanes hee resolued that some should lament his death which otherwise would haue bin the cause of great ioy A wretched Testament and fit for such a deuill to make That Deuill wee are charged not to returne to exceeds this both in subtletie and crueltie euen as much as a father may his Sonne Herod was not so perfect a Master of his art The wise men deceiued Herod hee must be a wise man indeed that ouer-reaches Satan Herod was a bungler to him he trusted to instruments to destroy Christ the Deuill lookes to that busines himselfe Hee can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light and rather then not draw men to hell hee will dissemble a loue to heauen He will speake good that he may worke euill and confesse the truth that therby hee may procure credit to greater falshood He can stoope to the reprobate like a tame horse till they get vp and ride him but when he hath them on his backe he runs post with them to hell When he hath thus excercised his policie wil he spare his power when his Foxes part is done hee begins his Lyons Bloud massacre destruction are his softest embraces horror and amazement are the pleasures of his Court kill kill burne burne is the language of his tongue to those miserable wretches which must euer be burning neuer consumed euer killing and neuer die Oh then let vs neuer returne to Herod nor venture on his mercie The poore bird that hath escaped the hawkes talons is carefull to auoyd his walke The strayed Lambe falne into the wolfes caue and deliuered by the Shephard will no more straggle out of the flocke If the Lord Iesus hath sought and brought vs to himselfe by the Starre of his Gospell let vs no more goe backe to Herod flying the workes of darknes and seruing the liuing God with an vpright heart Indeed they that are truely freed from his seruitude will neuer more become his vassalls Many seeme escaped that are not If the adulterer returne like the Hogge to the mire and the drunkard like the Dog to his vomit it is likely that they loue Herod well for they goe backe to him The minister may desire to offer them vp a liuing sacrifice to the Lord but like wild beasts they breake the rope and will not bee sacrificed But wee being deliuered by Christ out of the hands of our enemies must serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life 4. Wee must goe to our owne Countrey In this world wee are but strangers though perhaps we thinke too well of these vanities yet they are but forraine things wee haue another home We may be rauished with this earth as Peter with Tabor Bonum hic it is good being here but if wee looke vp to that heauen which is our Countrey Mundi calcamus inutile pondus Behold the very outside is faire the outmost walls are beautified with glorious lights euerie one as a world for greatnes so a heauen for goodlinesse All those spangles bee as radiant stones full of Lustre pure gold to the drosse of earthly things What may wee then thinke there is within Yea whatsoeuer the wicked thinke yet this world is but the through-fare and it is not their home neither though indeede they haue their portion in this life It is sayd of Iudas going to hell that he went to his owne place therefore that and not this is their owne countrey as sure as they thinke themselues of this world In heauen there is all life no death in hell all death no life on earth men both liue and die passing through it as the wildernes either to Egipt or Canaan This earth as it is betweene both so it prepares vs for both and sends euery one to their owne countrey eternall ioy or euerlasting sorrow Hee that here dies to sinne shall hereafter liue in heauen he that liues in sinne shall hereafter die in hell All soiourne either with GOD feeding on his graces or with Satan surfe◅ing on his iniquities They that will haue Sathan for their host in transgression shall afterwards be his guests in perdition But they that obey God as theyr master shall also haue him their father and that for euer Contemne we then this world what though we haue many sorrows here a still succession of miseries we are not at home What stranger looks for kind vsage amongst his enemies As well might the captiue Iewes expect quiet among the Babilonians Thou art sure of a countrey wherein is peace In that heauen the wicked haue no part though here much pleasure When thou considerest this truely thou wouldst not change portions with them Let it be cōfort sufficient since we cannot haue both that we haue by many degrees the better Their owne countrey Heauen is our owne countrey 1. Ours ordained for vs by